


The Seven Mages of Servamp

by YaoiTora



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Fantasy, FantasyAU, Humor, KuroMahi, LichtHyde, M/M, Mage!Kuro, Mages, MagiAU, Magic, Prince!Mahiru, Servamp - Freeform, SevenMages, TetsuMiso, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-03-31 13:43:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 47,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13976349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaoiTora/pseuds/YaoiTora
Summary: Seven Mages. One Prince. A Stringed Bond. When the eighth mage goes awry, war breaks out amongst the kingdom. Only one prince and seven mages (with other help of course!)  can stop them. Hidden truths are set free only to either bring them close together or break them apart...





	1. The Prince and the Cat

**Author's Note:**

> We had to make last minute edits and changes here and there. There weren't any big changes though, they were very minor. ENJOY! xD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter one! Enjoy!

**C** **hapter One: The Prince and the Cat**

"Mahiru-sama," A young maid with short white hair said softly as she knocked on the bedroom door, "We have prepared a breakfast to your liking and it is waiting for you in the dining hall."

Silence.

"Mahiru-sama?"

After several attempts, she slowly opened the door and peeked inside to find it completely vacant. Everything was in order, his bed made and his desk clutter free; all of it couldn't be more simple. She glanced over at the closet door, which had been sloppily left cracked open. To confirm her suspicions, she opened the door only to discover the prince's cloak missing.

"Disappearing... That's a problem."

* * *

A young brunette peeks his head out from behind a tree in a ridiculously large garden and peers inside through the windows. Maids and butlers frantically ran around the castle, seemingly looking for something.

 _Damn, that was fast. I better hurry_. He lifts his hood up over his head to hide his hair and sneaks through the rose bushes to the palace wall. An old giant sakura tree waiting to bloom grew right alongside the castle wall. After checking to make sure the coast is clear, the young brunette begins his assent.

 _Success!_  He thought as he hopped down on the other side of the wall. After doing a small victory pose and checking his surrounding once more, he quickly made his way down to the village nearby.

The young man squeezed through the crowd as he walked down the main street. The villagers beamed with enthusiasm and the street was decorated in bright, vibrant colors. Excitement and laughter filled the air. Preparations for the biggest annual event of the year were underway: The Festival of Magic.

The brunette, after managing to push his way through the swarm of festive people, reached his destination; a small shop at the edge of town that filled the air with the smell of fresh baked goods.

He peeked his head inside and smiled. "You look busy as usual? Need a hand Koyuki?"

Koyuki spun around quickly, hands full with a tray of freshly baked cookies, his large chocolate eyes wide with shock.

"M-Mahiru-sama! What are you doing here!? I-I didn't get a letter saying that you'd be visiting the village." Koyuki exclaimed, but his shocked expression shifted to one of concern.

Confused, Mahiru arched his eyebrow and tilted his head, "What's wrong?"

"Huh, oh, it's just…" Koyuki paused, carefully thinking of the right words to say to his friend, "We are very grateful that you come all the way here to visit us, but... Well, you being the prince and all, we really don't want you putting yourself in danger." Koyuki said, eyes full of worry.

Surprised, Mahiru blushed lightly, scratching the back of his head. "I'm sorry, Koyuki. I don't mean to worry you and the others. I just wanted to see how the festival preparations were coming along." Koyuki sighed and smiled softly, handing Mahiru a cookie from his tray.

"Please just be more careful," Koyuki begged. "We all know you aren't very good at doubting others." He continued, ignoring Mahiru's light glare. "As for the festival, everything is going according to plan. The festival decorations in town are absolute and there isn't much more that needs to be done!" Koyuki grinned. Mahiru nodded taking a bite of the delicious cookie, happy to hear that everything was going smoothly.

"Yo Mahiru! What're you doing here?"

Mahiru turned around and in front of him stood a short, blonde young man with a snarky smile plastered on his face.

"Hiy Rryuushei, lng tim no shee!" Mahiru muffled out with a mouth full of cookie.

"A prince shouldn't talk with his mouth full." Ryuusei gave him a hopeless look before walking over to Koyuki, "Why didn't you tell me Mahiru was coming to visit?" He questioned with a pout.

"I didn't know either Ryuu-chan, it was a surprise." Koyuki sweatdropped and scratched his cheek.

A tick mark appeared on Ryussei's forehead as he spun around and stormed over to Mahiru.

"OI! What did we tell you about running around the town so carefree you damn simpleton!" Ryuusei bellowed as he smacked Mahiru over the head with good force.

"GAH! Ryuu-chan! Calm down!" Koyuki scrambled over and restrained the small flailing Ryuusei in his big arms. Finally calming down, and rather exhausted from his outburst, Koyuki let him go as Ryuusei caught his breath.

Mahiru rubbed the spot Ryuusei smacked with his hand.  _Ouch, he could at least hold back a little bit, sheesh._  Mahiru thought then he noticed that there was one person missing.  _Oh yeah._  
  
"Hey, where's Sakuya? I thought for sure he would be here, given how much he loves festivals." Mahiru asked and the two looked up at him with an exasperated look. Ryuusei was the first one to speak.

"Tch, that lier! He's gone for the day. He said he had to go off and hang out with magical creatures, saying that he is one of their kin. I gave him an even better smack than the one I gave you." He stated with a menacing glare.

Mahiru took a step back, not wanting to risk getting hit again. "A-anyway, is there anything I can help with? Thinking simply, as the prince, I should help my people to the best of my ability!"

Koyuki and Ryuusei exchanged glances and sighed, giving Mahiru two warm smiles.

"Of course! Nothing beats Mahiru-sama's cookies!" Koyuki clapped his hands together in excitement.

Mahiru sighed. "You can drop the '-sama' ya know. We're friends, so there's no need for formalities."

"Sorry, no can do Mahiru-sama!" Koyuki beamed. Mahiru gave a strained smile and a small chuckle.  _He's never going to drop the '-sama'. It's inevitable._

"Alright you two, enough chit-chat! Let's make some more cookies!" Ryussei butt in, the desire for cookies visible in his eyes.

"YEAH!" They yelled in unison.

* * *

 

The sun had already set as Mahiru waved goodbye to his friends and quickly made his way back to the castle.

"Meow..."

Mahiru stopped in his tracks and looked around. His eyes caught a small ball of black fur tucked away in an alley beside him. He quickly walked over to investigate it, only to find a small black cat with an odd tail shivering and covered in dirt. Feeling pity for the small creature, he gently scooped him up in his arms.

"Aww, you poor thing. Thinking simply, I'll just have to take you with me!" Mahiru smiled at the cat and pet him gently, hearing a soft purr. "I guess that big castle isn't going to be as lonely anymore." He held the cat close to his chest to keep him warm and continued on his way.

Once he got back, he made sure to go through the castle silently and stealthily. Mahiru held the cat close to his chest, hoping that the small kitten wouldn't make a sound. He did not greet any of the servants but instead made small gestures when they noticed him.

Finally he had made it to his room where he was going to take care of the cat. First he settled himself in, taking off his cloak and hanging it up in the closet. Then, while still holding the kitten, he went into his own private bathroom and turned on the water in the sink. Making sure it wasn't too hot or too cold. After that, he began washing the kitten, thoroughly scrubbing the dirt out of his lush black fur with soap and water. When he was done, Mahiru turned off the water and grabbed a small towel, drying him off.

"There we go! Nice and clean!" Mahiru said triumphantly as he gently dried the 'not-so-pleased' cat off, although he wanted to flee, he was just too lazy to do so.

Mahiru threw the towel to the side and put the cat on his big soft bed. Mahiru looked at him for a while, pondering something.

"Hmmmm, you need a name. Let me think..." Mahiru put his hand to his chin and seemed deep in thought until finally a light went off in his head, "Well, simple is best! So thinking simply, I'll just name you Kuro." Mahiru beamed, happy with his choice.

Kuro stared at the boy for a few seconds, rather confused and surprised by the train of events, but decided to ignore the issue. Silently, he made his way up the bed and curled up into a ball on Mahiru's pillow, quickly falling asleep.

Mahiru gave him a small smile before something dawned on him. "Oh yeah. They don't know I'm back yet. Well, I have to face them sooner or later, so thinking simply, I should just face them now." Mahiru said with some reluctance as he left his bedroom and quietly closed the door behind him.

With a soft click of the door, Mahiru looked around to see if anyone was around. Then he heard a sudden voice and jumped out of his skin. He looked over to the left and realized who it was and sighed.

"MAHIRU! YOU BASTARD! WHERE IN THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THE TROUBLES YOU PUT ME THROUGH!" bellowed a short purple haired boy with a cowlick that stormed towards him.

"Now, now Misono, I'm sure Mahiru-kun has a reasonable explanation for his disappearance. And to help ease your mind, I shall strip." Misono's personal butler, Lily, stated seductively, before beginning to take off his clothes.

"DON'T STRIP YOU PERVERT!" Misono screamed as he threw a punch into the tall blonde's ribs.

Mahiru sweatdropped as he watched the bizarre exchange in front of him. He straightened his expression when Misono's gaze returned to him.

"So? I'm waiting." He huffed, crossing his arms and tapping his foot impatiently.

Mahiru rubbed the back of his head, and looked off to the side. "Well, you see, uh, it was such a lovely day and-"

"Cut the crap bastard and expla-" Misono was abruptly cut off as his body went limp and his body went falling to the floor, luckily to be caught by Lily.

"My, my, is it that time already?" Lily chuckled as he hoisted an out-cold Misono up and carried him princess style, "I would suggest thinking of a believable excuse for tomorrow know he's not the type to let someone off the hook that easily."

"Right... Thanks Lily." Mahiru forced a smile, knowing that would be a very hard feat to accomplish.

Lily smiled kindly and turned to take his leave, but stopped and looked over his shoulder, "Your chef made a delicious dinner tonight, you should snag some before going back to your room. I'm sure your cat would like some as well."

Mahiru's eyes widened in disbelief, "Huh? How did you know?!"

Lily gave a quick smile before disappearing down the hall, leaving Mahiru alone.

After standing there bewildered for several minutes, Mahiru sighed, "He really is a weird one. Well, he's right, I should get something to eat, and I bet Kuro is pretty hungry too." Mahiru turned and quickly made his way to the kitchen. Once, entering the kitchen, Mahiru went over to the refrigerator and took out what he wanted, placing small portions of food on a plate. After the plate was made, he picked it up gently and quickly exited the kitchen.

Mahiru quietly snuck through the castle with the plate of food, heading to his room, careful not to make a sound. The last thing he wanted was another lecture. As he neared his room, he noticed a light seeping out from under the door.

 _Huh? Did I leave the lamp on?_  Mahiru slowly crept up to the door and grabbed the doorknob, turning it quietly as he pushed the door open. He slipped inside, placing the plate of food on the dresser next to him, and gently closed the door.

"Hey, I brought you some food Ku-" Mahiru said softly, but froze when he turned around, his eyes glued to his bed.

Mahiru's eyes widened. He felt his heart pounding against his ribcage as he gazed upon a tall young man with light blue hair in a strange blue cloak laid sprawled out on his bed. With a book in one hand and a snack in the other, the man turned his head to meet Mahiru's gaze with a solemn expression.

Mahiru jumped when they made eye contact, but for some reason, he couldn't look away. He felt strangely drawn in as he stared into the man's crimson eyes.

Quickly breaking his trance, Mahiru backed up and hit the door, panic taking over.

"W-w-who are you?" The man kept his eyes on him and then turned away, lazily looking up at the ceiling of Mahiru's room. There was a small pause before he let out a groan.

"Ah, this is so troublesome I could die..."


	2. My Name is Sleepy Ash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Using violence, you're such a pain."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here’s chapter two! I hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed writing it. xD

** Chapter Two: My Name is Sleepy Ash **

Mahiru stared at the red eyed man, confused and shaking with anxiety. Mahiru subtly looked around the room, trying to find something he could use to fight this person. His eyes stopped when he spotted a mop leaning against his dresser, likely left by one of the maids. Gathering all his courage, he sprint over to the mop and grabbed it, but before he could turn around, he sensed a large figure standing directly behind him.

  
He froze, his hands sweating as he gripped the mop handle tighter. A large, pale hand reached out from behind him and grasped his hand holding the mop, slowly prying his fingers off of it. The second he loosened his grip on the mop, it jumped from his hand and flew around the ceiling. As quickly as it started the mop settled down and lifelessly leaned against the wall on the other side of the room. Mahiru stared at it, completely speechless, but he was quickly brought back by a deep monotonous voice right by his ear.

"Using violence, you're such a pain." The man mumbled softly by his ear, feeling his breath on the back of his neck. Mahiru tensed up, his heart racing out of control and his face flushed. The stranger sensed him tense up and let go of the hand he still held tightly, taking a few steps back.

After a pregnant silence, Mahiru took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Who are you?" He demanded, a bit more calmly than before. The man's crimson eyes locked with his own, drawing him in for the second time. "I asked who you are!" Mahiru raised his voice, "Now tell me or else I'll call the guards!"

The red eyed man let out a groan. "This is so troublesome I could die." Then he went on and mumbled. "Can't deal." Mahiru felt a tick mark form on his forehead, finding this man to be extremely annoying and irritating. Before he could retort, a thought struck him. The little kitten he saved had disappeared. _Did this guy steal it?_

"Where's Kuro? What have you-" Mahiru couldn't finish his question as the room lit up with a bright red light. Mahiru shot his glance down to his feet to see a giant red magic circle. He averted his gaze when he felt something tickle his finger, he looked over to his hand to find a red string tied around his pinkie. His eyes followed the red string, seeing It come to an end tied around the stranger's pinkie. The light suddenly vanished and everything returned to normal.

They stayed silent for a long while until the man broke it, leaning his head to stare at the ceiling, letting out a huge exasperated sigh, "Kill me now..."

Without hesitation, Mahiru rushed up to the man and grabbed his shirt, shaking him violently while yelling, "What in the world was that? What happened? What was that red string? And why did you steal my cat you thief?"

"What's with all the nagging questions? If I was a thief I wouldn't still be here right now, plus I'm not a thief. I'm just a kind hearted shut in."

"A kind hearted... shut in?" Mahiru repeated. "You broke into my castle and you're telling me you're a kind hearted shut in?" Mahiru shook his head. "I don't believe you."

The man looked at him with a bored expression on his face. He wasn't keen on dealing with people, especially ones that nag. Unfortunately, for some reason, he felt himself strangely drawn to this person, who he'd guessed was royalty since he lived in this castle. Sighing, he grumbled. "What a pain." Meeting Mahiru's gaze, the man continued.

"Look, I'm not a thief and I didn't break into your castle. I'm-"

" _Mahiru-sama, I heard you were back from Lily-kun. Please let me in. If you don't, it will be a problem_." Mahiru eyes darted to the door in confusion. Her words sounded... _threatening_. Even the stranger in his room didn't like it, Mahiru could see it on his face. Mahiru bit his lip, hesitating. He needed to do something quickly or else-

 _Poof_! A puff of smoke appeared and dissipated within an instant revealing the tiny cat that he had rescued from the village alley. K-Kuro? He thought, in utter perplexity. "Y-You're-You're a-a-"

" _Mahiru-sama?_ "

With a frustrated groan, he picked up Kuro and placed him on his pillow, putting a blanket over him before swiftly walking to the door, opening it. "You can come in now Hanae." A short light purple haired woman who appeared twenty peered into the room as she slowly walked in.

"I was looking for my mop." She mentioned, but glanced around the room slowly, as if surveying it. She quickly regained her composure, walking over to the mop and picking it up. "Thank you for coming back, Mahiru-sama." She bowed politely and quietly left the room.

"She's weird. I'd be careful around her." A lazy, high-pitched voice spoke up after Hanae was out of sight and earshot. Mahiru turned to see the kitten peeking out from underneath the small blanket. He blinked, perplexed, wondering if his hearing was acting up.

"What?"

"I'd be careful around her," The cat spoke, mouth moving, paw pointing at the door Hanae went through. "She's weird." Mahiru looked at the place where Hanae had been standing, wordlessly agreeing with Kuro...? Should he even call him that?

"Who? Hanae? She's perfectly harmless. She's with the Alicein Family, but she helps out around the castle as well." The cat nodded slowly. He didn't trust that Hanae girl, but he honestly didn't know why he was helping this person of royalty when he was so rude.

"Ah whatever, take my advice or don't, I don't care. You're such a pain anyway." The cat suddenly transformed back into a human, his voice suddenly becoming low and monotonous. Mahiru jumped at the sudden change, but his eyes remained glued to the figure standing in front of him. Shoulder length blue hair. Half lidded, bored red eyes with deep bags underneath them. A blue cloak a tad darker than his hair with black fur and cat ears around the lining of the hood. On the bottom of the cloak, he had it cut in between each strip of material. Mahiru wondered why he had a cloak made like that when he could just have a simple cloak.

Mahiru shook his head, shoving the thought away and straightening himself. "I don't think she's a bad person." He replied. The stranger shrugged.

"What a pain, you're too trusting."

"I don't necessarily trust you. I don't even know you." Mahiru huffed. "One minute you're a cat, the next you're a human..." Just mentioning that made him wonder. "What are you? A shapeshifter? I heard those things were dangerous."

"I'm not a shapeshifter. I'm a..." He hesitated, looking to the side and mumbled, "A mage. What I used just now was transformation magic." Mahiru's eyes widened in disbelief. He's a mage?

"So, you perform magic?" The mage as he referred himself as, changed his form again back into a cat, causing Mahiru to jump once again.

"And I'm a cat. Look at me as I roll around and show off my cuteness." Mahiru snorted. _You're not cute._

"Who are you? I mean, what is your name?"

"I'm Sleepy Ash the first mage of sloth. I have five other brothers and a sister." Mahiru stared at him, deep in thought, thinking about his name. _Sleepy Ash of Sloth... accurate_. It was very true. The guy seemed lazy and bored all the time. _Thinking simply, the form of a cat is also accurate too._

"Sleepy Ash?" Mahiru blinked. "But you're a cat. I don't think Sleepy Ash just doesn't ring right," Mahiru grinned. "So I think I'll just call you Kuro." _Simple is best after all._

"Kuro? Couldn't you pick a more suitable name? Like Fluffy McCuteness? I am a cat after all." Mahiru felt his eye twitch and grabbed Kuro's ears.

"Last time I checked, cats don't willingly talk." Mahiru replied, pinching Kuro's ears.

"Ow! Come on, those are the cutest part of me and you're hurting them! You're such a pain. Can't deal."

"Alright, enough with the cute act! Explain what happened back there! What was that strange light and the string that was connected to our pinkies? What happened?" Mahiru gave him a stern look like that of a mother.

"Hah, you're such a nag I could die." Kuro sighed, but reluctantly gave in, seeing that Mahiru wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

"I... Honestly don't know."

"Huh?" Mahiru stared at him dumbfounded, "How could you not know? That was definitely magic, and you're a mage, so you must know something right?" Mahiru's need for a simple answer grew more desperate by the second.

"I don't know what I don't know. I mean, I've had people take me in before and give me a name, but nothing like this ever happened. I think I might have an idea what it is..."

Mahiru perked up and Kuro had his full attention, nodding his head as he urged him to continue.

"Ah, but explaining is such a pain." He groaned, trying to get out of it.

A tick mark appeared on Mahiru's forehead as he restrained himself from smacking the lazy cat. "Explain or I won't feed you!"

Kuro looked dumbfounded as if he couldn't believe his ears, "So cruel. How could you do such a think to such a cute cat?" Kuro asked as he poofed into his cat form and rolled around on the bed in the cutest way possible.

"Nice try, speak now and make it simple." Mahiru demanded in a seriously unamused tone.

"Ramen."

"Huh?" Mahiru arched his eyebrow at the random statement.

"I'll tell you whatever you want if there is ramen involved." Kuro declared with a stoic face, but Mahiru could tell that he was serious.

"Ah alright, fine, I promise I'll get you some ramen, now please explain."

Kuro nodded in approval. He suddenly shift back into a human, his mood suddenly turning serious, "I think it is a Red String of Fate." He stated simple and to the point.

Mahiru blinked several times and gave him a blank stare, "Sooo, what's that?"

"You said to keep things simple," Kuro sighed before continuing, "It is said that a Red String of Fate only appears when two people are destined to be together for whatever reason."

Kuro glanced at Mahiru who hadn't said a word, he appeared to be confused, but still listening intently. Kuro decided to end the topic quickly before things got to be even more of a pain.

"So for a lack of better words, we are stuck together. We can only be so far apart from one another before the String brings us back together. If we are forced apart, well, that's too troublesome to explain." Kuro finished as he grabbed the plate of food from the dresser and started munching away.

Mahiru stared at him, still trying to process everything Kuro had just told him.

"So simply thinking, it's like a contract of sorts?"

"Yeah, I guess you could call it that. Hey, where's my ramen?"

"Oh right, I'll get it for you tomorrow, I'm exhausted." Kuro protested, but it went unheard. Mahiru yawned as he went over to a chair and grabbed the fluffy pillow resting on it. He set the pillow on the ground next to his bed, fluffing it up a bit.

"There you go, nice and comfy!" Mahiru pat the pillow, before heading to his closet to change into his sleepwear. Kuro looked at the pillow, feeling rather disappointed, but he shoved it aside and turned into a cat, hopping onto the pillow.

Mahiru crawled into bed and turned of the lamp by his nightstand above Kuro. He let himself sink into the soft pillows as sleep slowly took over him.

"Goodnight Kuro."

"...Nya"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YaoiTora’s Comments: Okay so this chapter needed less editing as far as I know. I double checked and then triple checked everything. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Leave a kudos, bookmark, and a comment! We’d looooooove to hear what you think!


	3. Sakuya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hey Mahiru, do you know about Mages?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YaoiTora's Comments: So, I've mentioned that this story kind of follows the anime/manga plot. Not really though. We planned it out specifically to avoid rewriting the manga/anime out and of course we all know how it's copyrighted and belongs to Strike Tanaka (awesome name and amazing artist and writer). Except for the little ideas with magic and mages and stuff. We have other things cooked up for you. Which is why I specifically warned you all about spoilers. There are scenes from the anime/manga that we plan to use throughout the story xD You'll find out what scenes when we all get to that point though.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the servamp characters, anime or manga (I wish I had a few copies though, I'd read them all the time xD).
> 
> Warning: Spoilers (not in order o the anime or manga), light yaoi, violence with a touch of blood and KUROMAHI GOODNESS! xD
> 
> Please Note: the warning and disclaimer are generalizing what is in the story. If you don't like don't read. Thank you.

**Chapter 3: Sakuya**

Mahiru stirred in his bed, feeling cold and rather uncomfortable. He turned over and suddenly bumped into something warm. Instinctively, he snuggled towards it, longing for the warmth. _Strange, this feels so nice, I wonder what it is._

 

Mahiru’s eyes fluttered open and he found himself looking at a bunch of black fabric, he looked up and froze.

 

Mahiru’s face was barely several inches away from the stranger he met just the night before. His eyes grew wide and a blush crept up on his face as he realized the situation. Unable to control his embarrassment, he let out a scream that would put a girl to shame, falling off the bed in the process.

 

Mahiru stared at Kuro who had somehow managed to turn human in his sleep. _What is he doing in that form?! And why is he in my bed with me?!_ He took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm his nerves. He couldn’t believe that this person could still be asleep after he had just screamed bloody murder and fell off the bed. Mahiru swallowed, bringing his hand to his chest and clenching his nightshirt. His face still felt hot but the embarrassment subsided a little.

 

 _It’s okay, Mahiru, he’s just asleep. He probably didn’t realize that he transformed back into a human._ Mahiru told himself softly before he took one deep, deep, deep breath to help calm his nerves a little more. His pulse drummed against his chest, too fast for his breathing to keep up with. A sudden knock on the door brought him back to his senses.

 

“Mahiru?” A worried, muffled voice called from the other side of the door. Realizing the situation, Mahiru frantically tried to regain his composure. He sprung up and placed a hand on Kuro’s shoulder.

 

“Kuro, hey, you have to wake up!” Mahiru whispered as he shook the blue haired mage. After several attempts too many, and Mahiru’s patience hanging by a thread, he managed to get a groan. Kuro half opened one of his eyes, staring dazed at the brunette with an irritated scowl.

 

“Kuro, you have to change back! Quickly!” Kuro closed his eyes and mumbled something incoherent under his breath before changing back into a cat. Mahiru jumped at the sudden transformation, still not quite used to it. He moved his gaze to the door. There was only one other person besides Misono and Ryuusei that would address him without formalities.

 

Mahiru quickly tried to make himself look presentable before walked over to the door. He cracked the door open and peeked out, being greeted by a boy his age with bright firefly green hair. Mahiru looked up and down, noticing the boy’s outfit. It was a simple vest with a buttoned shirt underneath it and a long red trench coat over the vest, a pair of tan pants and dark brown boots.

 

“Good morning Sakuya!” Mahiru gave a bright smile to his best friend, “What brings you here so early? You look very nice today.” Mahiru complimented.

 

Sakuya seemed surprised at the compliment and turned his head away, trying to hide a blush. “Oh, well, you see, the festival is going to start soon and I was wondering if y-y-you’d like to go with… me?” Sakuya stuttered, trying his best to get the words out while blushing furiously. Mahiru looked at Sakuya for a moment before smiling warmly.

 

“I’d love to go to the festival with you! We can meet up with Koyuki and Ryuusei!” A thought suddenly hit him, “Oh right, uh, I can bring my cat Kuro, right?” Mahiru asked with a weak smile, hoping Sakuya wouldn’t ask any questions. Sakuya blinked, his red eyes wandered past Mahiru and spotted a small black cat with an unique tail lying on Mahiru’s bed. His eye twitched upon seeing the cat, but he managed to force a smile and nodded his head.

 

“Yeah! Of course, Mahiru.” He agreed. Sakuya couldn’t tell his best friend ‘no’ and… Sakuya shook his head, the light blush on his face deepening. _Mahiru’s just a best friend._ In an attempt to distract himself, Sakuya thought it best to change the topic.

 

“Hey Mahiru, do you know about Mages?”

 

Mahiru’s eye twitched at the mention of mages. His mind went blank. _Should I tell Sakuya about Kuro?_ Mahiru shook his head. _No, he’s the type that would worry endlessly about my safety. I don’t want to make him worry. I think it’s best to keep it to myself for now._

 

“Mages? You mean the original beings that control the magic of this world?”

 

“Yeah, and do you know that they’re evil and even _immortal_?” Sakuya asked with a sly grin.

 

Mahiru looked at Sakuya, perplexed his question. _How could mages be evil?_ Mahiru thought as he glanced back at Kuro. _Is he evil?_ Mahiru shook his head. _No, Kuro couldn’t be evil. If he was, he would have done something to me by now._ Mahiru sighed, feeling guilty for accusing Kuro of such a thing. The brunette turned his head, meeting Sakuya’s crimson eyes.

 

“Don’t tell me that was a lie, Sakuya.” Mahiru asked, looking extremely unamused.

 

Sakuya blinked, then laughed. “Haha, you caught me Mahiru! I was just going to ask you how much of that was a lie? You know me too well!” Without hesitation, Mahiru swiftly punched Sakuya on the head.

 

“You and your lies Sakuya!” He yelled, before placing his hands on his hips, engaging ‘mother mode.’

 

Sakuya laughed, rubbing his head to ease the pain. “Hey you never know, Mahiru, I could be telling the truth.” Sakuya replied cryptically. The corner of Mahiru’s mouth twitched when Sakuya said that.

 

“Ha, that’ll be the day!” Mahiru laughed and gave Sakuya a wink, bringing the boy’s blush back with full force. Mahiru walked over to his closet, picking out some casual clothes. Without thinking anything of it, Mahiru too off his nightshirt and pants, standing there almost completely naked.

 

Sakuya’s eyes made dinner plates look small as he stared at Mahiru’s body. Screaming on the inside, Sakuya felt lightheaded as all the blood rushed to his head, making him a blushing mess.

 

Unknown to him, a cat glared daggers at the boy from the bed. Kuro didn’t understand why, but the way that boy acted towards Mahiru pissed him off. Kuro’s eyes wandered over to Mahiru and his eyes widened as he took in the sight.

 

Mahiru had an incredible body. His slightly tan skin looked insanely soft to the touch; his toned upper body and defined biceps left Kuro in awe. His eyes traveled down, noticing Mahiru’s hip bones peeking out from above his boxers.

 

Realization hit Kuro right in the face as he dived under Mahiru’s pillow. _Can’t deal. Can’t deal. Can’t deal!_ Mahiru slipped on a pair of dark blue pants before he grabbed a bottom up shirt. The shirt was a plain white shirt with sleeves lengthening down to the creasing his elbow. He then grabbed an embroidered vest and slipped in on. He then noticed Kuro hiding under his pillow.

 

“Huh? Kuro?” Mahiru arched his eyebrow, confused by his cat’s odd behavior. He finished getting dressed, slipped on his cloak, and picked up a very frazzled cat.

 

“Alright let’s go Saku-, huh? Are you okay Sakuya?” Mahiru looked at the beat red boy in concern, bringing his hand up to Sakuya’s forehead. “You’re not sick are you?”

 

“I-I-I’m f-f-fine!” Sakuya managed to stutter out, looking away as his blush worsened. Sakuya glanced down, making eye contact with the cat, receiving an extremely unfriendly glare that sent a chill down his spine. Sakuya quickly looked away.

 

Although not entirely convinced, Mahiru grabbed Sakuya’s hand, causing the green haired teen’s heart to nearly jump into his throat. Sakuya suddenly felt a terrifying murderous aura, and thought it best not to look at the source. Mahiru guided them down the hall, managing to make it to the exit. Right as they were about to take their leave, a certain short purple haired boy with a cowlick stopped them in their tracks. The boy wore a jacket with the right side of it black and a white inverted cross and the left side was purple with a black cross similar to the white. Connected to his jacket, he had a purple cape with a black piece of fabric hanging in front of his jacket.

 

“M-Misono! How are you this morning?” Mahiru asked, nervously chuckling. Misono walked up to the prince and grabbed his collar, growling.

 

“Mahiru, you bastard! You didn’t explain why you snuck out of the castle yesterday, and here you are trying to do it again!” Misono snarled as he let go of Mahiru’s collar, standing there expectantly, waiting for an acceptable answer. Mahiru knew for a fact he couldn’t get out of it this time.

 

“Great, another loud one, can’t deal.” Kuro whispered loud enough for Mahiru to hear. Mahiru shot him a glare before focusing on the angry chibi in front of him.

 

Sakuya raised an eyebrow. “You snuck out of the castle with no one with you?” He asked, concern filling his voice. Mahiru tensed up and turned to Sakuya.

  
“I-I-I was…”

 

“What were you doing, bastard!”

 

“I was was visiting with Koyuki and Ryuusei and helping with the festival!” Mahiru frantically replied under pressure, slightly squeezing the cat in his arm. “Ugh! Why can’t your lectures be simple and to the point! It makes it so much easier!” Misono punched Mahiru on the head.

 

“You should have told someone, you imbecile! For all we knew, you could have been captured or worse!” Misono crossed his arms, glaring at Mahiru.

 

Sakuya nodded. “Cowlick’s right, Mahiru. You should be more careful.” He grinned.

 

“Who the hell are you calling Cowlick, you Cabbage-head?” Misono retorted, only to be completely ignored.

 

“Anyway, Mahiru and I are going to the festival. Come on, Mahiru!” Sakuya’s grip tightened on Mahiru’s hand as they slipped past Misono. Misono stared dumbfounded at Sakuya.

 

“Hey wait! You can’t just take the prince away with no protection on you!” Misono yelled after them, “Mahiru, I demand you to take your sword and I demand that I, as your future King’s Lecture, accompany you!” Misono butt in front of them with a stern expression, leaving no room for argument. Sakuya looked extremely displeased while Mahiru didn’t know what to say.

 

“I will only accept yes as an answer, bastards.” Misono declared.

 

“Okay, Misono, okay, you win. I’ll go get my sword.” Mahiru gave in as he let go of Sakuya’s hand, to his disappointment, and ran to get his sword. Sakuya and Misono stood there quietly for a moment, Misono breaking the silence first.

 

“I don’t know what you’re up to bastard, but I’ll have you know that I have my eye on you.” Misono shot him a glare before turning to see Mahiru running back towards them with a cat on his head and a sword by his side.

 

Sakuya gave a quick huff before looking over to Mahiru.

 

Mahiru approached them with a bright smile. “Alright, let’s go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YaoiTora's Comments: And that ends chapter three! Can you take a guess who the raven haired man is? You don't have it's it's pretty obvious. There is one thing I think I should mention. An explanation for the red string of fate will come later in the story. There is a difference between humans and mages and you'll find out why. If I explain, I'll be spoiling you and I don't really wanna do that. ^^ Soooo, if you liked this chapter slap a review down in the review section below! If you didn't, that's too bad. It's okay though ^^
> 
> Thanks for reading! Leave a kudos!


	4. The Festival of Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Why don't you tell me a story? Make it Interesting."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY I'M A BLONDE AND DIDN'T GET THAT WE WERE UPDATING WE COULD UPLOAD TWO CHAPTERS SO I HAD TO CUT CHAPTER 3 IN HALF! I'M SUCH A BLONDE!

Loud cheers and confetti popped throughout the village. Mahiru watched in awe from inside the protection of the carriage. The decorations were absolutely amazing and the smell of the food was so enticing. Kuro hopped onto Mahiru’s head to get a better view of the festival. The delicious smell of food hit his nose.

 

“NYA!” Kuro made sure he meowed loud and clear to get Mahiru’s attention.

 

Mahiru jumped from the loud sound, gently grabbing Kuro off of his head, giving him a confused look. “Huh? What is it Kuro?”

 

“Nya nyaa.” Kuro flailed his little paws, pointing at the food stalls lining the street.

 

Smiling, Mahiru giggled. “Haha, that’s right, I promised you food! Don’t worry, I’ll get you something delicious.” Mahiru set Kuro on his lap and gently pet his head. Kuro purred, pressing his head against Mahiru’s hand. This boy’s touch made him feel at peace, made him forget about the monster he truly was, even if only for a moment. Mahiru took his hand away, placing it on his lap. Kuro looked up at him with a small kitty pout, suddenly feeling disappointed. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt this way. He just met Mahiru and hardly knew anything about him, but what he did know was that he wanted to protect Mahiru and that was that.

 

“Sakuya! Look, isn’t that amazing!” Mahiru grabbed Sakuya and pulled him close so they could both look out the window of the carriage. They stared in awe at the beautiful sculpture of a mage, decorated with vibrant flowers to honor the occasion. Kuro hopped back up on Mahiru’s head, curiously looking at the sculpture. His eyes widened, recognizing the person it represented. Frowning deeply, Kuro hopped off of Mahiru’s head and landed back on the brunette’s lap, yawning and pretending to fall asleep. Mahiru looked down at Kuro and smiled.  _What a lazy cat…_

 

 _What a pain,_ Kuro thought to himself.  _Why did there have to be a sculpture of him here…?_ Kuro looked up at Mahiru. Mahiru seemed like the understanding type, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to open up, even just a little bit. Kuro quickly discarded the idea and shook his head.  _No, Mahiru is too kind for his own good, even if it’s him, there’s no way he’d accept a monster like me._ Kuro sighed.  _What a pain, I can’t face this._

 

The carriage stopped in a less crowded part of the village. Some noticed the carriage and while others didn’t think anything of it. Misono had the idea of going in one of his carriages instead of a royal carriage, which would give away Mahiru’s identity instantly. The ‘King’s Lecture in training’ took extra precautions regarding protecting the future king at the festival. He made sure to bring his butler, Lily, who thought it was a great idea to start stripping the moment he stepped out of the carriage.

 

“Bastard! We’re in public, you pervert!” Misono chided punching Lily in the chest with good force.

 

“But Misono, it’s such a grand festival! It would be a shame not to show some skin.” Lily said with an innocent smile.

 

“Shut up!” Misono bellowed, earning glances and whispers from passerbyers.

 

Mahiru, Kuro, and Sakuya watched them in awkward silence, thinking it best not to intervene.

 

After managing to escape Misono’s wrath, Lily walked to the front of the carriage. “Thank you for bringing us to the festival, Dodo.” The blonde haired butler said seductively, stripping off his shirt.

 

“What did I just say, pervert!” Misono yelled from the carriage door as held it open for the others.

 

Joining Lily, Misono regained his composure in an instant and bowed. “Yes, thank you for bringing us down to the village, Dodo.” He looked up at the blue haired coachman. The man blushed lightly, looking away. His dark eyes slightly droopy.

 

“No problem, Misono. Just don’t get yourself into trouble okay? Your dad tends to become a worrywart sometimes.” Misono nodded.

 

“Only if Mahiru doesn’t first.” The purple haired boy replied earning a loud, motherly, “Hey!” from behind. Dodo laugh stopped abruptly with a yawn.

 

“Yeah, that goes for Mahiru-sama too! Be careful okay.” Something sparked in Dodo’s eyes as he recalled something important, “Oh, that’s right. We made sure to write letters to your uncle to tell him how you were. We also mentioned your little sneak out before the festival. So let’s not have a part two to that okay?” Mahiru groaned. Great, now he was going to get a lecture from his uncle too. “Enjoy the festival.” Dodo continued, but leaned down to whisper into Misono’s ear. “Send Lily if there’s any  _trouble_ , got it?” Misono glanced at Dodo, knowing what he meant and nodded.

 

“Bye Dodo.” Misono waved as Dodo drove off, before turning around “Alright, Mahiru, you should stay close to us so that we can...protect… you…?” Misono blinked when he realized Mahiru and the Cabbage-head were nowhere to be found. A tick mark formed on his forehead, his shoulder shaking with rage. “Are you freaking kidding me?!” Unleashing a scream that silenced the festival for just a moment. Misono looked around, his face in a permanent scowl. It sent chills down the villagers spines, making them quickly go back to what they were doing. “Don’t just stand there with your clothes hanging off Lily, come on and help me find them!” Lily gave a sweet smile and nodded.

 

“Yes, Misono, we should have some fun too.”

 

Misono looked at Lily with a narrowed glare, but then sighed and gave in. “Fine we’ll have fun too, but only after we find them! Let’s go.”

 

“Okay!”

* * *

Mahiru, Kuro, and Sakuya explored the streets, looking at all the fun festivities and delicious food. Mahiru dragged them across town until they finally reached Koyuki and Ryuusei’s bakery. Mahiru sniffed air, smelling the delicious treats he had helped make before releasing a pleased sigh. ”Come on Sakuya, let's sit down and have something!” Mahiru grabbed Sakuya’s hand and pulled him into the bakery. Sakuya blushed as he let Mahiru lead the way. He felt a glare coming from Mahiru’s shoulder and decided to ignore it. Sakuya felt overjoyed being with Mahiru and silently thought about his true objective.

 

“Mahiru-sama! Sakuya!” Koyuki’s voice excitedly called. The light brown haired boy smiled widely before noticing the small black cat sitting on the table. Koyuki got starry eyed he rushed over to the table. “Oh wow! What a cute cat! Where did you get him?”

 

“I found him in an alley last night.” Mahiru explained. He looked at Kuro who rolled around, making cute kitten sounds and waving his paws around. Mahiru’s eye twitched.  _Showoff._

 

Koyuki gushed over the small kitten. “How adorable! Do you want anything? I can get some treats for your cat.” Koyuki offered.  Kuro made a pleased expression and purred, rubbing against Koyuki’s hand. The light brown haired boy blushed and squealed. He picked up Kuro and squeezed him a bit too tightly. “You’re so cute!”

 

“Ahem!”

 

Koyuki tensed up and turned to see Ryuusei glaring at him. He chuckled nervously. He quickly put Kuro down and bowed in apology at Ryuusei. “I’m sorry Ryuu-chan!” Ryuusei rolled his eyes.

 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just a cat.” He shrugged before walking off to attend to some customers. Koyuki smiled and went to get some treats for Kuro, Mahiru, and Sakuya.

 

“Ah, Koyuki!” Mahiru called out after him.

 

“Huh?” Koyuki looked back and wandered back to the table, “ What is it Mahiru?”

 

“Since this is a bakery, I’m not sure if you’ll have any, but…” Mahiru wasn’t sure how to put it, but thinking simply, it would be best to just say it like it is, “... Do you think you could get Kuro some ramen?” Kuro’s ears perked up and he looked up at Mahiru in surprise.

 

“... Ramen? … For the cat?” Koyuki gave Mahiru a very bewildered look, unsure if he heard correctly.

 

 _Ugh. Not simple at all._ “Uh, yeah… He’s a really picky eater.” He mumbled, hoping Koyuki wouldn’t question it.

 

Koyuki stared at Mahiru for a while before smiling widely, “Ok, you got it Mahiru!” He said as he hurried off to the kitchen.

 

 _Phew, it worked._   _Huh?_  Mahiru looked down to see Kuro rubbing his head against his hand, purring loudly.

 

Mahiru gave him a bright smile, “Haha, you’re welcome Kuro, a promise is a promise after all.”

 

Sakuya watched the exchange in silence, far from pleased.  _Well, it’s now or never I guess._ Gathering up his courage, Sakuya scooted his hair closer to Mahiru, wrapping his arm around Mahiru’s shoulder.

 

“So, what are you going to eat Mahiru?” Sakuya asked, his face fairly close to Mahiru’s. Kuro’s head shot up from Mahiru’s hand, he tensed up and gave Sakuya a death glare.  _Don’t touch him!_

 

Mahiru, completely oblivious to Sakuya’s intentions and Kuro’s threatening vibes, continued to scan the menu in front of him. “Hmm, I’m not quite sure yet.”

 

Sakuya took advantage of the situation and placed his other hand over Mahiru’s hand holding the menu, pointing at a random dish. “I think this one looks good.”

 

Kuro snapped. He leap between the two with great speed, shaking the table. Sakuya jumped back as Kuro swung a paw with expended claws at his face. Before it managed to make contact, Mahiru grabbed Kuro, pulling him back.

 

“Kuro! Stop it! What’s wrong with you?!” Mahiru yelled at the cat that gave Sakuya a loud hiss. “Are you okay Sakuya?” Mahiru asked with concern, bringing a hand up to Sakuya’s cheek to check for injury, earning a growl from the cat.

 

“I-I’m fine Mahiru,” He stuttered, blushing and backing away slightly, “I think I’ll give the cat some space. I’ll go get us some drinks. There is a booth with amazing tea next door.” With that said, Sakuya stood up and exited the bakery.

 

As Sakuya made his way to the booth, a breeze filled with glitter passed his face with great velocity. He froze, suddenly feeling a presence by his ear.

 

“Being so close to the enemy… That’s a problem.” A small, white haired fairy whispered as she perched herself on Sakyua’s shoulder, “It is time for phase one…”

 

“Tch.” Sakuya gritted his teeth as he passed through the crowd.

* * *

Mahiru kept glancing at the door, growing concerned.  _This is weird. Sakuya should have been back by now._

“Something’s not right.”

 

Mahiru’s thought process was cut off by a soft monotonous voice. He looked down to see Kuro sitting in front of him.

 

“Huh?”

 

“I said something’s not right. The brat, something is off about him.” Kuro’s whisper became rough at the mention of Sakuya.

 

Mahiru’s brow furrowed and he frowned, “Don’t be like that Kuro, He’s my best friend. Why do you keep doubting everyone around me?”

 

“Looks like he sees it differently.” Kuro mumbled inaudibly.

 

“That’s enough, come on, let’s go find him.” He stood up, hoisting Kuro onto his shoulder as he left the building.

* * *

Misono and Lily had searched for Mahiru until nightfall. Festival lanterns softly glowed along the village streets, lighting their way. Lily stayed by Misono’s side since Dodo had parted ways with them.

 

Misono sighed. “Damn that bastard, Cabbage-head! Where in the hell did he take Mahiru?!”

 

“Don’t worry, Misono, I’m sure Mahiru is in very capable hands.” Lily tried to reassure him. Misono scoffed, the scowl he had earlier when Mahiru and Sakuya had disappeared still permanently stuck on his face.

 

“Hmph! I don’t trust that Cabbage-head!” Misono snapped, the remainder of his patience leaving him, grabbing Lily’s sleeve, he dragged the blonde haired butler around, “When I find that bastard prince, I’m going to give him a piece of my min-”

 

Misono stopped abruptly as he bumped into something huge and as hard as a brick wall, sending him to the ground.

 

“Hey, bastard, watch where you’r-” Misono looked up to see a tall blonde haired boy holding a large black coffin. Misono’s eyes widened, awestruck, as he stared at the boy’s solid body.  _What incredible strength!_ Misono thought.

 

“Hello.” The boy spoke. He had a deep voice that rang through Misono's ears, causing a blush to appear on his cheeks.

 

Suddenly, Misono felt a soft tickle on his hand. He looked down, eyes widening at what he saw. Misono’s mouth dropped.  _The Red String!_ The boy looked at the string tied to their pinkies, perplexed at the sight. The red string disappeared, bringing Misono back to his senses. He cleared his throat.

 

“Y-Yes, hello,” Misono replied, bowing respectfully. “Who are you?”

 

“Tetsu Sendagaya. My family owns the hot springs that bring tourists to the kingdom.” Tetsu stated with a blank expression. Misono nodded his head, analyzing the blonde up and down, trying not to get distracted by his nice body. Misono noticed he wore typical villager clothes; a blue shirt with a white vest, a pair of white pants, and a blue and white scarf.  _Hm, simple just like_ \- Misono’s eyes widened as he remembered he was searching for someone too.

 

“GAH! That’s right! I have to find Mahiru! He’s actually more important than the village itself! I must find him.” Misono frantically explained. Tetsu raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.

 

“Who are you looking for? I’m also looking for someone. Maybe I can help?”

 

Misono shook his head. “Thank you but that’s not-”

 

“Please do join us in our search! The more help the better. Then we can enjoy the rest of the festival together. I heard there are going to be fireworks.” Lily butted in, stripping off his clothes without hesitation. Misono made a noise of displeasure.

 

“How many times do I have to tell you not to strip, pervert?” Misono fussed, too exhausted from everything that had happened to smack him. “Put your damn clothes on! People are staring!” He scolded. Tetsu stared at the bizarre exchange before shrugging a shoulder.

 

“I’ll help you.” He stated, catching Misono’s attention.

 

Misono smiled triumphantly with a slight blush on his cheeks. “Thank yo-”

 

“Misono! Lily!”

 

Misono spun around, catching sight of Mahiru running towards him with a cat perched on his head.

Misono didn’t miss a beat and stormed over to Mahiru in pure rage. Before Mahiru could retreat, Misono grabbed his collar, shaking him furiously.

 

“You bastard! Is it your life goal to cause me trouble?! Where the hell have you bee-”

 

Everything came to a halt as fire filled the street down the way with a deafening boom. The laughter of the crowd quickly turned into screams as everyone stampeded away from the accident.

 

“Oh no!” Without a second thought, Mahiru darted through the crowd, heading straight towards the explosion.

 

“Damn it! Come back here! MAHIRU!” Misono tried his best to reach out to Mahiru, but the crowd swept him away. His voice going unheard.

 

Mahiru kept running, pushing past the panicking villagers and managed to make it to the scene of the accident. Before Mahiru stood a ravennette in a beautiful black yukata covered in red camellia flowers. The ravennette slowly turned around, giving Mahiru a smile that sent chills down his spine.

 

“Why don’t you tell me a good story! Make it interesting.”


	5. The One Known as Melancholy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tell me a story and your young prince won’t die.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! Finally got chapter 5 uploaded. I'm actually pretty happy with how it turned out. It's a little long but you'll see it's worth it xD
> 
> Quickly I will say, I found someone who would kindly translate this story for me. She hasn't read it yet and I hope she enjoys it! :D Especially this chapter. It's a good one. :3 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> Leave a comment, kudos, or anything and let me know what you think!

Mahiru’s body froze in place as he met the _crimson_ eyes of the raven haired man. His eyes widened as he watched the man slowly approach them, still wearing the same chilling smile. The sound of his geta rang in Mahiru’s ears as everything suddenly turned red and a low mist covered the ground. _Huh? What’s happening? It’s...raining?_ Mahiru frantically looking around. He didn’t recognise his surroundings. All the buildings had disappeared and there wasn’t another soul in sight, leaving them alone in a hazy red void.

 

“Come on,” The raven haired man urged. “Tell me something interesting.” Mahiru’s gaze quickly returned to the man, too scared to even blink. Mahiru tried stepping back, but he couldn’t. He started to feel panic overtake him. _My body...it won’t move! I can’t stop shaking!_ The man let out an amused chuckle, now two feet from Mahiru and Kuro, who was still perched on Mahiru’s shoulder, glaring at the stranger with high suspicions. _What is up with this weirdo? The air he’s giving off reminds me of… us._

 

“Tell me, my prince, do you fear me?” Mahiru breath hitched, his body twitching at the sudden question. How did this person know he was a prince? All the red flags in his brain shot up. He was in trouble now, big trouble.

 

“Mahiru we should go. It’s not safe here.” Kuro whispered into Mahiru’s ear, not liking the situation at all. Mahiru didn’t turn his head to look at Kuro, his eyes fixed on the raven in front of him. Kuro was right, but Mahiru’s body still refused to listen to him. He tensed up as the man spoke, his words full of venom.

 

“Don’t worry, Prince Mahiru-sama, it’s okay to fear someone. After all, I am your _enemy_.”

 

“E-Enemy?” _Who is this person?_

 

“Mahiru-” In a flash, a sword went flying toward them. Fear immobilizing him, he instinctually clenched his eyes shut, preparing for the pain to follow. Kuro changed his form in an instant, shielding Mahiru as the sword impaled him through the chest.  Mahiru slowly opened his eyes to the sound of a pained grunt. Mahiru’s eyes filled with horror as he watched blood spill from his companion’s chest.

 

“K-Kuro?” Mahiru gasped, as he ran in front of the blue haired mage to catch his fall. The sword fell from his wound and dissipated when it hit the ground. Blood oozed from Kuro’s wound, soaking his cloths and splattering on the ground. Mahiru used all his strength to support the taller male. He could feel the warm blood soaking through his clothes, causing his face to turn sheet white. He slowly lowered Kuro to his knees, hands shaking frantically as he looked down Kuro. “Why did you do that?! Oh no, what do I do?! I-I-I-” His breath becoming erratic as his mind raced.

 

“AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Sleepy Ash! Protecting someone! AHAHAHAHA… Hah, not interesting at all…” The man hoped back a ways, quietly observing what was to come.

 

“You need to run.” Kuro spat out, blood dripping down his chin. He looked up at Mahiru, his gaze completely serious. Mahiru jumped as Kuro’s words pulled him out of his battle of thoughts. He met Kuro’s eyes, staring into them with full determination and shook his head.

 

“Are you crazy?! I’m not leaving you when you’re injured! And especially after you saved me! No way!” He raised his voice, trying to get his point across.

 

“I’ll be fine,” Kuro forced out, “You need to leave. Go somewhere safe.” Kuro attempted to push Mahiru behind him, but Mahiru stood firm, refusing to budge. Mahiru’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Kuro then over to the raven. _Why now of all times… must I be so helpless._ He glanced back at Kuro who held his chest wound that proceeded to bleed profusely.

 

“I’m not leaving you.” Mahiru growled.

 

Kuro stared at him with an irritated, serious look. Things were about to get real. This guy was a _true mage_ and a powerful one at that. _Damn it!_ **_That_ ** _man… He couldn’t have…_

 

“I’m not leaving you Kuro! I want,” He grabbed Kuro’s sleeves. “I want to fight!” Kuro looked at him in surprise before sighing.

 

“You’re such a pain I could die.”

 

Kuro closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He slowly opened them, Mahiru twitched, once again tranced by Kuro’s beautiful crimson eyes that glowed with a ruby luster. Kuro muttered something under his breath, releasing a small portion of his power, directing it to Mahiru’s sword. “This sword now possesses some of my power. It will feed off of your will. The stronger your will, the stronger both you and your sword become.” Mahiru stared at his sword, grabbing the hilt without a glimpse of hesitation. He gave the sword a tough tug, pulling it out of its sheath as a black-blue matter engulfed the blade. Mahiru stared at it in awe before nodding his head. Kuro forced himself from the ground, wrapping his arm around Mahiru’s waist, placing his other hand over the brunette’s hand holding the sword. Mahiru blushed, thinking about what had happened earlier this morning. He felt the same warm fuzzy feeling he felt this morning. Slightly shaking his head, he cleared his mind. _I have to focus on the fight._

 

“Take your sword like this,” Kuro gently caressed Mahiru’s hand, raising his sword, guiding it. “And swing it sideways.” He gripped Mahiru’s hand, guiding the sword, swiftly swiping it through the air like cutting flesh. Mahiru watched a crescent shape made of dark matter fling from the sword, raging towards the raven haired man who, to Mahiru’s dismay, dodge the attack.

 

_I-Incredible!_

 

“Oh! You’re strong when you try, Sleepy Ash, but guess what?” An evil smile spread across his face before he disappear, reappearing behind them. Neither of them had time to react before the man lunged at them, snatching Mahiru, and bouncing back ten feet. “I’m stronger.”

 

Mahiru gasped, clenching the arm that choked him. He met Kuro’s wide, shock filled eyes. Before he could speak, Mahiru felt a soft tickle on his finger as a vibrant red string appeared, connecting him and Kuro. Mahiru watched as the man’s smile grew wider from the corner of his eye. “HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! This is perfect! You have the red string of fate!” He laughed sinisterly, then sighed. “Hah, I’m bored.”

 

Mahiru didn’t know what to do. He feared what this person would do to him if he struggled. “Let’s make this interesting.” The man continued. Mahiru swallowed the growing lump in his throat as he felt something cold touch the skin on his throat. “Tell me a story and your young prince won’t die.”

 

Kuro gritted his teeth, everything in his body screaming at him to get to Mahiru, to protect him. His vision started to go red, but he forced himself to remain rational.

 

“I don’t even know who you are.” Kuro spat out, his voice dripping with malice.

 

The man’s smile turned into a frown. “You don’t know... who I am huh?” Mahiru stared up at the man taken aback. He had never seen someone so sad.

 

The man quickly regained his composure, plastering his sinister grin back on his face. “I am the one known as Melancholy, ‘ _Who is Coming?_ ’. My name is Tsubaki,  the eighth mage of Servamp. No one knows I exist. Nice to finally meet you… Big Brother.” Mahiru frowned. _No one knows he exists…_ Mahiru turned his gaze to Kuro and flinched.  The look in Kuro’s eyes made Mahiru’s blood run cold, Tsubaki, however, didn’t seem phased in the slightest.

 

“Oh, Big Brother is so scary.” Tsubaki chuckled, his eyes lit up with amusement, “Say Big Brother, let’s make things even more interesting… Let’s start a war. What do you say Big Brother?” Tsubaki’s smile widened as he pressed his sword against Mahiru’s neck.

 

_W-WAR?!_

 

Kuro’s eyes flickered with rage. “Why would I do something so troublesome I could die? Just give me Mahiru and leave.”

 

“Ah, you’re so boring Big Brother. I want to play with you more!” Tsubaki slowly slid the blade of his sword down Mahiru’s neck. Mahiru winced and whimpered as the sword left a fine cut along his neck, a little blood trickling down.

 

Kuro snapped and lunged at Tsubaki, claws made of dark matter appeared on his hand, sharp and posed to strike!

 

“Yay, Big Brother wants to play! Let’s play.. Catch!” Tsubaki grinned as his grip on Mahiru changed, flinging him at the oncoming mage.

 

Kuro came to a sudden halt, his focus shifting to Mahiru. He quickly braced himself, catching the flying boy in his arms. He wrapped an arm around his back, pressing his other hand on the back of Mahiru’s head, holding him protectively. He shot his gaze up quickly to find… No one. Kuro blinked surprised, and quickly surveyed their surroundings. They stood in the middle of the village, the rubble from the explosion at their feet.

 

“HAHAHAHAHA! Let’s play again soon Big Brother!” Kuro’s grip around Mahiru tightened as a cynical laugh filled the air. After a few moments, Kuro let his shoulder relax and loosened his grip on Mahiru. He tilted Mahiru’s head, observing his wound.

 

“You really are a pain.” He brought his hand up to Mahiru’s neck, hovering above the wound as he whispered a chant. After a moment, he removed his hand and straightened his back.

 

“Huh? Kuro? What did you do?” Mahiru asked as he brought his hand up to his neck, his face went from confused to complete shock.

 

“M-my wound! It’s gone!” Mahiru yelled.

 

“Ugh, so loud. It’s just a simple healing spell…” Kuro sighed, his lazy voice completely back to normal.

 

“Wait… Wounds… AH, YOUR WOUNDS!” Mahiru rushed up to Kuro, ripping his shirt open. His eyes widened when he saw… Nothing, not a scratch and the blood had vanished as well.

 

“Listen, I know I have a killer body, but can we do this in a room or something? Doing it here is so troublesome.” Kuro yawned as he stared down at Mahiru with bored eyes.

 

Mahiru’s face turned beet red as he quickly brought Kuro’s shirt back together in a flustered mess.

 

“I-I-I wasn’t thinking anything like that you perverted cat! I was just worried is all!” Mahiru shouted before covering his red face with his hand, averting his gaze.

 

“I’m a mage Mahiru, we heal quickly…”

 

“Yeah, well you could have told me that soon-”

 

“Mahiru!” A voice cried out. Kuro looked behind him to see Mahiru’s king lecture in training, a _familiar_ blonde haired man and a very tall blonde boy holding a coffin running towards them. Kuro looked at the boy with his signature bored look, trying to remember his name. _What was it? Cowlick? That’s what the Cabbage-head called him_. Kuro was never good with names.

 

“Misono, wait up!”

 

 _Ah, that was it! Misono_. After figuring that out, Kuro raised an eyebrow as the boy angrily walked up to Mahiru.

 

“Mahiru, you bastard! Do you live and breathe to give me stress?! What the hell is wrong with you?!” Mahiru flinched, raising his hands in front of him to try and calm the raging chibi. He never wanted to make Misono so angry.

 

 _Note to self, I’ll just call him Bastard-chan, that’s far easier to remember._ Kuro shrugged and let out an exasperated yawn as he watched the two bicker.

 

“I-I’m sorry, Misono I didn’t mean to…”

 

Misono was about to continue his lecture but he refrained himself upon seeing Mahiru’s saddened face. The boy scratched his cheek, a faint blush on his face. “J-Just stop making me worry for goodness sakes, you bastard. I-I’m not just saying this as your lecture, I’m saying this as your f-friend!”

 

Mahiru smiled warmly and gave Misono a gentle hug, “I’m sorry, I’ll try not to make you worry.”

 

“You better not.” Misono huffed as he hugged back. After being released from the hug, Misono averted his gaze to Kuro. His eyes widened. “What are **you** doing here?”

 

“Huh? Misono, you know Kuro?” Mahiru stared at Misono, surprised.

 

“Ah, well… Hah… Well, I guess I can’t keep it from you forever. The mage you have there is Lily’s brother…” Misono muttered, reluctant that he had to finally reveal the truth.

 

Mahiru blankly stared at Misono, his words slowly mulling around in his head.

 

“HUH? Lily is Kuro’s brother?! So that means Lily is a mage too?!” Mahiru shouted before directing his attention to Lily.

 

“Yes Mahiru-kun, my real name is All of Love, Mage of Lust. Misono gave me the name of Lily _when_ he was a sweet, innocent, well-mannered child, so the name stuck.” Lily gave a little bow.

 

“What do you mean WHEN? You bastard.” Misono shot him an ice cold glare.

“My apologies Misono.” Lily gave a beautiful, innocent smile, “And to celebrate my true identity being revealed, I shall strip.”

 

Misono didn’t his a beat and punched Lily in the ribs before he could even get the first button of his shirt undone. “Damn it! You perverted butterfly!”

 

“Huh? Butterfly?” Mahiru arched his eyebrow.

 

Poof! A cloud of pink smoke appeared and out of it flew a gorgeous black and pink butterfly that landed on the tip of Mahiru’s nose.

 

“Lily’s animal form is a butterfly, just like Kuro’s is a cat. Speaking of, why didn’t you tell me that cat was your brother Lily? You could have spared me a lot of headache!” Misono questioned Lily in an irritated tone.

 

“Um…”

 

Everyone’s attention shifted to the tall blonde boy standing a short distance away, looking rather confused. Mahiru tilted his head, not recognizing the boy.

 

“Hello? Who are you?”

 

“Tetsu Sendagaya, hot springs heir.” The last part earned a confused look from Mahiru.

 

Tetsu turned to face the mages “Um… You two are mages? Then maybe you can help me find my friend. He’s a mage too.”

 

His statement gained Lily and Kuro’s full attention while Misono and Mahiru looked at him in shock.

 

“Ugh…”

 

They all turned around to see a small figure dragging himself along the ground, slowly crawling towards them.

 

“GAAAAH! A ZOMBIE!” Misono screeched as he clung to Lily for dear life.

 

“Ah Hugh, there you are.”

 

“Ugh… You commoners… How dare you trample one such as me…” The small figure gasped out as he reached them, before passing out.

 

Poof! A gray cloud of smoke appeared where the small boy had been laying. After the smoke dissipated, a small bat lay zonked out on the ground, completely unable to move.

 

The group circled around the bat, staring at him, unsure of what to do. Tetsu finally broke the silence.

 

“Everyone, meet the Mage of Pride, Old Child, or as I call him, Hugh.” Tetsu gestured to the bat below them.

 

“Uh, is he okay?” Mahiru asked in concern, unsure if he should pick up the bat or not.

 

“He’s fine.” Kuro put his hand on Mahiru’s shoulder, “I told you before, we heal quickly. He’s just tired.”

 

Mahiru felt relieved, but he knew he couldn’t leave one of his people and his friend in such an awful situation. “Tetsu, both you and Hugh should come to the castle.  We can tend to him properly there until he gets his strength back.” Mahiru offered with a smile.

 

Tetsu looked a little surprised under his monotonous exterior. “Castle? Why would they let us into the castle?”

 

_Crap. I let it slip. Oh well, too late now. And he doesn’t seem like a bad person._

 

“My apologies, I never introduced myself. My name is Shirota Mahiru, heir to the throne.” Mahiru stated simply, giving Tetsu a small bow.

 

Tetsu’s eyes widened slightly, but gave a small smile and nodded. “Then I will take you up on that offer Prince-aniki.”

 

“Wait wait! Hold on! We can’t just have him march right into the castle! There are rules you know!”  Misono approached them, arms crossed and a foot impatiently tapping the floor.

 

“Why not Misono? Is there something wrong with Tetsu coming to the castle?” Mahiru tilted his head, confused by his friend’s odd behavior.

 

Misono blushed furiously and fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, looking away. “N-no-no reason in particular.” He managed to mumble out.

 

“I have a grand idea! Why don’t you stay at the Alicein residence?” Lily butt in, “We are very close to the castle, and our servant can attend to your every need around the clock.”

 

Misono gawked at Lily, if his jaw could hit the floor, it would. “L-L-LILY YOU BA-” In an instant, Misono went limp and tumbled to the ground, Lily catching him without hesitation.

 

“Wow, is it that late already?” Lily smiled, gently picking up Misono “I will call Dodo to have him pick us up. You can stay here if you wish Mahiru-kun. You are in reliable hands after all.” Lily shifted his gaze to Kuro, giving him a quick wink. Kuro quickly looked away, his cheeks slightly flush. “I will send guards to clean up the mess. Go see your friends to let them know you’re safe.” Lily began to walk away but stopped. “And be sure to watch the fireworks before you come back, they are supposed to be exquisite this year.” Lily gave Kuro another wink before proceeding down the street with Tetsu carrying Hugh in tow.

 

Mahiru and Kuro stood there in silence as they watch the other figures disappear into the night. The awkwardness grew as they continued to stand there. So much crazy stuff had happened and now everything was so calm. Mahiru let out an exhausted sigh.

 

“Well, come on Kuro, I don’t want to keep the others worrying.” He smiled, grabbing Kuro’s hand and dragging him down the street.

 

Kuro glanced down at their hands, blushing lightly, “What a pain…”

* * *

Kuro and Mahiru rushed down the street in the direction of Koyuki’s bakery. They turned the corner and Mahiru crashed into a sudden figure.

 

“WAHH!” He cried out, falling back, but luckily caught by Kuro’s embrace. Mahiru reoriented himself before realizing who had crashed into him. “Koyuki!”

 

The brown haired boy had tears in his eyes, meeting Mahiru’s surprised gaze. “M-M-Mahiru-sama!” Koyuki blubbered, pouncing Mahiru and giving him a bone-crushing hug, “We’re so glad you’re alright!” Koyuki cried in relief, tightening his grip.

 

“GAH, K-Koyuki, ca-can’t breath!” Mahiru flailed his arms around, lightly smacking Koyuki on the back.

 

Konk! A baking pan appeared in the air, held by an short irritated blonde, wacking Koyuki on the back of the head. “He’s not dead you idiot, but he will be if you keep crushing him like that.” Ryuusei pointed to Mahiru’s scrunched figure.

 

“AH! I’m so sorry Mahiru-sama!” Koyuki pulled away, giving Mahiru a chance to catch his breath, “We heard the explosion and tried to find you, but you were nowhere to be found. Thank goodness you’re okay!”

 

Mahiru laughed nervously, but gave them a warm smile. “Thank you Koyuki. I’m fine. Sorry for worrying you again.” Koyuki nodded.

 

“Ryuu-chan and I are just about to go watch the fireworks. Do you want to come?” Koyuki asked, then took notice to the tall bluenette standing behind Mahiru, ”Oh? Who might you be?”

 

“Ah! Uh, this is… Uh, Ash! He helped keep me safe during the explosion!” Mahiru forced a smile, he didn’t want his friends to get involved in something dangerous, especially if Tsubaki seriously did intend on starting a war.

 

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for protecting Mahiru-sama!” Koyuki exclaimed before giving Kuro a deep bow, forcing Ryuusei down with him with his hand on his head.

 

Kuro looked at the two in shock before facing away, “I really can’t face this…”

 

“How about we all go to the fireworks together?!” Koyuki beamed.

 

“That’s a great idea, let’s go!”

They quickly ventured off toward a field at the edge of the village where people had gathered to watch the fireworks. Even though the explosion had caused a huge panic, the festival resumed  as per normal. Koyuki and Ryuusei went and found a nice patch of grass to sit in while Mahiru and Kuro sat a short distance away under a giant oak tree. _Oh, that’s right!_

 

Mahiru shifted a little closer to Kuro, trying to find the right words. “Hey, um, Kuro.”

 

“Hm?”

 

Mahiru didn’t think and rushed forward, giving Kuro a quick peck on the cheek.

 

Kuro’s eyes widened as he blinked several times, trying to process what just happened.

 

Mahiru quickly retreated, and scooted away, blushing like a fool. “I-I never got to thank you for saving my life. So,” gently touching wear his neck had been cut open. He gathered his courage and met Kuro’s deep crimson eyes, “Thank you Kuro!”

 

Kuro stared deeply into Mahiru’s warm brown eyes, taken completely by surprise. _Thank you? Something like me doesn’t deserve that…_ Kuro wanted to look away, but couldn’t take his eyes off Mahiru’s. Small splits of gold ran through his chocolate eyes, making them shimmer. _They’re... beautiful…_

 

BOOM!

  
Mahiru’s head shot to the sky as the first firework exploded in the air, releasing an array of colors. “Ah, pretty!” Mahiru smiled as he watch the fireworks, but Kuro’s gaze did not stray from Mahiru. He watched as Mahiru’s eyes light up, the colors of the fireworks reflecting in his eyes. His smile seemed brighter than the fireworks themselves. A small smile grew on his face as he turned his head to the sky lit with colors. _You’re so troublesome I could die..._


	6. All for One and All for Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "String? You mean that red string that ties me to Chibi?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ho-ly... shit. -___- There has to be a simpler way to upload... my magic fingers are losing their grip. 
> 
> Oh well. This chapter was long too. It was worth it. XD

**Chapter 6: All for One and All for Love**

Sakuya grabbed Tsubaki by the collar of his yukata, slamming the raven haired mage against the wall. “What the hell were you thinking hurting Mahiru?!” Sakuya screamed, shaking Tsubaki in an attempt to get an answer quickly. Tsubaki merely gave a sly smile.

 

“I just wanted to have a little fun.” Tsubaki said, obviously amused. He chuckled and let out a small sigh. “This is not interesting at all.”

 

“Sakuya, hurting Tsubaki is a problem.” Otogiri fluttered onto Tsubaki’s shoulder. Sakuya shot her a glare.

 

“Shouldn’t you be with **him** pipsqueak?”

 

“They do not know I have left.” Otogiri stated simply, “Tsubaki is more important.”

 

Sakuya grunted in reply and rolled his eyes, letting go or Tsubaki’s collar. He had tried his hardest to keep Mahiru out of this, now he knew he had to protect Mahiru at all costs.

 

“More important? Mahiru is the prince! And he’s my friend!” Sakuya replied, annoyed with Otogiri. The fairy girl stared at Sakuya blankly before stand up on Tsubaki’s shoulder and hopping off to change size.

 

“For now we will lay low, even though that is incredibly boring.” Tsubaki looked disappointed and put on a small pout, but a small smile crept up on his face, “What will be your next move, Big Brother?”

* * *

 

“Wake up Kuro!” A brunette yelled at the top of his lunges, pulling the comforter off the bed, uncovering a barely dressed blue-haired mage.

 

“Ugh, no… Five more hours Mom…”

 

“Excuse you?!” A tick mark appeared on Mahiru’s forehead, his patience thinning, “First you scare me half to death by being half naked in my bed for the FOURTH time this week, and now you refuse to move when we have to go! You’ve never had to deal with Misono’s lectures, and I refuse to get one because of you!” Mahiru shuddered, recalling past experiences.

 

“You’re so loud… Can’t you just go without me?” Kuro muffled into the pillow, grabbing another to cover his ear.

 

“No, Misono told me Lily has something do discuss with BOTH of us, now move your ass!” Mahiru grabbed Kuro’s ankles, attempting to pull him off the bed, but Kuro’s grip remained strong on the edge of the bed.

 

“Let go damn it!” Mahiru grit his teeth, pulling with all his might.

 

“Okay…” Kuro suddenly let go while Mahiru was still pulling, sending them both flying into a jumbled mess on the floor.

 

“Ouch, Kur-” Mahiru froze when he opened his eyes, staring ridiculously close into a pair of crimson orbs. Mahiru blinked several times, the wheels slowly turning in his head. His eyes drift down to find Kuro between his legs, laying on his body. Before Mahiru had time to blush or make a sound, the door opened.

 

“Mahiru-sama, we have breakfa-” Hanae entered the room, but stopped mid-sentence when she saw the scene before her, “... Sorry for interrupting…” With that, she turned on her heel and quietly shut the door. _Telling Sakuya… That might cause a problem…_

 

“Wait! Hanae! It’s not what it looks like!” Mahiru yelled with a beet red face, struggling to get out from under the lazy lump on top of him.

 

“Aww, it was just getting good too.” Kuro yawned as he lifted himself up, freeing Mahiru.

 

“Damn it Kuro!” Mahiru grabbed Kuro’s shoulders and shook him in anger, “If you had gotten up in the first place, none of this would have happened! She will never look at me the same way again!” Mahiru let go of Kuro and ruffled his hair in embarrassment before a thought struck him. “GAH! We’re going to be late!” Mahiru scrambled up, throwing Kuro his clothes, “Get dressed, and make it snappy! I don’t want Misono’s ‘A Prince’s Responsibilities’ lecture, and if I do get it, you’re sitting through the whole thing with me!”

 

“Okay, okay…” Kuro gave an exhausted sigh before getting dressed as quickly as a sloth could.

 

“Alright, let’s go!” Mahiru snagged Kuro’s wrist and quickly drug him out of the room.

* * *

 

“You bastard! You’ve had that mage with you for a week and you still can’t control him?” Misono huffed, sitting in a fancy purple chair in front of a table with a chest board on it.

 

“Guh, I’m trying Misono, really. It’s **him** who isn’t trying.” Mahiru gestured to the lazy mage beside him, on the verge of falling asleep.

 

“I don’t need your excuses! A prince needs to take responsibility!”

 

_Oh no…_

 

“What are you going to do if-” Misono was interrupted when a black and pink butterfly flew on his nose, “Gah, don’t do that Lily!” Misono swatted him away before the air filled with pink smoke.

 

Mahiru coughed, waving the smoke away from his face. He looked up and his face returned to the color it was this morning as he stared at yet another barely dressed man.

 

“Why good morning Mahiru-kun! Isn’t it such a beautiful morning for stripping?” Lily gave an innocent smile with his hand on his chest.

 

“BASTARD!” Misono flew out of his chair, punching Lily in the stomach with all his might, “How dare you ruin the prince’s pure eyes with such uncouth behavior!”

 

“Pfft… They were pure until this morning.” Kuro mumbled.

 

“Hmm, what was that?” Misono shot Kuro a cold glare.

 

“Nothing, nothing at all.” Mahiru smiled, directing a punch into Kuro’s ribs, leaving him wheezed by his side. Luckily, Misono decided to dismiss it.

 

Under Misono’s icy gaze, Lily slipped his clothes back on with some reluctance. As Lily secured his sleeve on his shoulder, the door cracked open. They all turned to see a very tall blonde and a small brunette wearing a huge top hat and a monocle standing in the doorway. Misono’s face turned red as he quickly looked away. Lily noticed this from the corner of his eye and smirked.

 

“Ah good, you two arrived!” Lily clapped happily.

 

“Excuse us.” Tetsu said blandly, as he closed the door behind them.

 

“Ah, Tetsu, and uh, Hugh was it?” Mahiru lit up when he saw them.

 

“Humph.” The small boy pouted before jumping up on the table, facing Mahiru, “My name is Hugh the Dark Algernon III, and you will address me as such! I am Old Child, Mage of Pride! And this is my strong, trusty assistant Tetsu Sendagaya! Fear him, for he has the strength of ten men!” Hugh bellowed, puffing out his chest.

 

“But Hugh, I only have the strength of one man.”

 

“Wha-”

 

“Now,” Lily clapped his hands together, gathering everyone’s attention, “The reason we brought you here today is to discuss the strings that binds you together.”

 

“String? You mean that red string that ties me to Chibi?” Tetsu pointed to Misono.

 

“HEY!”

 

“Yes, that string.” Lily smiled, cutting off Misono’s retaliation.

 

“What? You have a red string too?” Mahiru gaped at Misono.

 

“Yeah…” Misono mumbled, looking off to the side.

 

“You know about the red strings Lily?” Mahiru asked, eyes wide with curiosity, his full attention on Lily.

 

“Yes I do know a thing or two. Where would you like me to start?”

 

“Uh, well, I guess you could start with what they are exactly.” Mahiru decided, unsure of what to ask.

 

“Very well.” Lily gave another smile, sitting in a chair next to Misono and gestured for Tetsu and Hugh to sit down. Tetsu sat in the chair next to Misono, oblivious of the boy’s blush. Lily smirked before continuing.

 

“The red string between you is called The Red String of Fate. Everyone has one, but whether or not they actually get to meet their fated partner is by chance. Both of your meetings are very rare.” Lily looked at both pairs.

 

“Wait, fated partner?” Mahiru tilted his head.

 

“Yes. For a lack of a better work, you’re soulmates!” Lily announced with glee.

 

Mahiru, Kuro, and Misono blushed furiously while processing the information. Tetsu on the other hand remained stoic, not sure what the big deal was.

 

“But this also makes you vulnerable.” Lily interrupted their flustered moment, gathering their attention again.

 

“The string ties you both together in body and soul. You can only get so far apart from one another before the string brings you back together.  You can, however, be forced apart.” Lily’s expression darkened slightly, but he continued, “If this occurs, both of you will feel ill after a while, the symptoms getting worse the longer you stay apart.”

 

Mahiru felt a chill run down his spine, Misono gulped and fidgeted on his chair, while Tetsu still stared blankly at Lily, either getting none or all of what he said, no one knew.

 

“Has there, uh, ever been cases where the string has been cut or broken?” Mahiru spoke up nervously.

 

Lily brought his hand to his chin and pondered Mahiru’s question. “From what I’ve heard, but I can’t say for certain, if there is a lack of trust or extreme ill will between the two string bearers, the string becomes weak and can break. I have never heard of a string being cut though.”

 

“Hmm, I see.” Mahiru mumbled, processing the information, “Anything else Lily?”

 

“No, sadly that is all the information I have for you. To show my sorrow, I shall stri-”

 

“Don’t you dare bastard!” Misono cut him off, punching him in the ribs.

 

“Now.”

 

Everyone’s attention went to Hugh, who’s face had turned rather serious. “With that out of the way, I’d say it’s time to talk about the current threat… Tsubaki. So,” Everyone remained quiet, their faces turned serious.

 

“What can you tell us about him Hugh?”

 

“That’s Hugh the Dark Algermon III to you!”

 

“Yeah yeah, just get on with it.” Kuro sighed, but his eyes showed that he too was serious about the topic.

 

Hugh huffed, but continued, “Tsubaki is indeed a mage like us, and quite the powerful one at that. He has been killing apprentices left and right.”

 

“Huh? Apprentices?”

 

“Ah that’s right, you wouldn’t know. An apprentice is a human that was taught magic from a mage. They are not as strong as us, but they are immortal.” Lily explained.

 

“ **I** have the most apprentices amongst the mages.” Hugh boasted, smiling with pride.

 

“Can you just keep going please? I want to take a nap.” Kuro yawned.

 

“Since when don’t you want to take a nap?” Mahiru bickered.

 

“Anyway,” Hugh hit his cane on the floor, all attention back on him, “His apprentices are special, they aren’t necessarily human.”

 

Kuro and Lily jumped at this, their eyes widened in shock as they stared at Hugh. After a long silence, Kuro spoke up.

 

“What a paaaain…”

 

“For once I’ll agree with you on that.” Mahiru sighed, overwhelmed by everything.

 

“We don’t know where he came from or why he is picking a fight with us, all we know is that he is a threat and we need to watch our backs…” Hugh hesitated, “But he isn’t the only one… The **hounds** are on the move.”

 

Kuro jumped when he heard this, the air around him turning dark. Mahiru cowered away slightly, surprised by Kuro’s reaction and cautious of the dark air forming around him.

 

“K-Kuro, are you alright?”

 

Kuro’s dark aura instantly subsided as he looked over at Mahiru with a bored gaze. “I want ramen…” He whined as his stomach growled.

 

Before Mahiru could respond, his stomach replied to Kuro’s growl, causing him to blush.

 

“Ah that’s right! You ran over here before eating. My apologies Mahiru.” Misono said, feeling kind of bad.

 

“That’s okay Misono. This was really important, but I think we should go eat before Kuro collapses.” Mahiru stood up and looked at Kuro, grabbing his hand and pulling him up, earning a slight blush from the mage.

 

Lily took notice and chucked, then a thought popped into his mind, “Mahiru-kun.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Why don’t you show Kuro the castle garden, it’s at its most beautiful this time of year!” Lily smiled, giving Kuro an inconspicuous wink, “But sadly the flowers take away from my beauty when I strip…” Lily sighed with a face full of disappointment.

 

Misono facepalmed, too tired to even try and discipline his mage.

 

Mahiru sweatdropped and decided to ignore the last part. “That’s a great idea! Let’s go there after we finish breakfast! Come on Kuro!” Mahiru said with a warm smile.

 

“Hah… What a pain…”

 

Mahiru dragged Kuro out of the room hand in hand as they headed to the dining hall, leaving the others in the room.

 

There was a small pause before, Hugh spoke up, “I believe it is time for us to go back to the village Tets-”

 

Lily grabbed Hugh by the cape, dragging him to a far corner. “I think, brother, Tetsu and Misono should go to the village together. You see, Misono doesn’t know much about the village life. So I think it would be nice for them to get to know each other better and for Misono to have a glimpse of the life of a villager.” Lily gave a wide, tight smile. Hugh raised an eyebrow.

 

“You’re doing this because of the red string of fate are you?”

 

“Why of course.” Lily replied. “Is there a problem with that?” Hugh shook his head. He felt it to be a good idea. He noticed Tetsu walking over.

 

“Ready to go home, Hugh?” Tetsu asked, holding the coffin. “You should be all better by now.”

 

“I think I should stay here. I’d like to talk with my brothers some more.” Hugh replied. “Why not asked the purple haired boy?” Tetsu looked over at Misono who was pacing back and forth, already thinking about future plans to fight against Tsubaki and win.

 

“I guess I could asked shorty.”

 

Tetsu turned around and walked over to Misono who stopped mid-step noticing the boy coming his way. Lily and Hugh watched from afar. Hugh glanced at Lily deadpanned.

“You definitely planned this.”

* * *

 

Misono paced back and forth, muttering to himself, concerned about Mahiru’s new fate. He suddenly felt a pair of eyes staring at him. He paused and looked over at Tetsu, craning his head up to meet his gaze. Tetsu continued to stare at Misono with an apathetic look. Misono raised an eyebrow. _What in the world is this bastard thinking? He has the face of a dead fish…_ After a few minutes, a tick mark appeared on Misono’s face.

 

“Well, say something damn it!” Misono demanded. Tetsu blinked for a moment confused. He looked over at Lily who waved his hands in a forward motion, urging the boy to ask.

 

“Hugh and I were supposed to go down to the village to pick up some food, but he said he’s going to stay here a little longer, so I thought you might want to go.”

 

Misono’s eye widened, a deep blush covered his face. The thought of being alone with Tetsu, his so called “soulmate,” weighed heavily on his mind. The fact they could only stay so far apart didn’t help either. Misono sighed, unable to think of a way out of this. He nodded, a bit reluctantly. “Y-Yes, of course. L-Let’s go to the village.” Misono tried to keep his composure as he spoke, his cheeks still bright and pink, “We must tell your family that you will be staying at the Alicien mansion.”

 

Tetsu tilted his head in confusion, unsure of why Chibi kept acting so funny. He decided to shrug it off and followed Misono out of the castle.

* * *

“You’re going to love the garden, Kuro! It’s absolutely beautiful this time of year!” Mahiru enthusiastically smiled at Kuro over his shoulder as he dragged him to the garden behind the castle. Kuro silently nodded, glancing down at his hand, his fingers intertwined with Mahiru’s as they walked. A small, hardly visible smile made its way on his face. He took in this moment he shared with Mahiru, thinking about the events that happened previously. _My soulmate huh..._

 

“Roses have thorns,” Kuro mumbled. “One prick and it’s so troublesome I could die.” Mahiru rolled his eyes before giggling.

 

“Haha, don’t worry. These roses are special, they don’t have thorns.” Kuro raised an eyebrow at that, meeting Mahiru’s gaze for just an instant. He noticed something sad twinkling in Mahiru’s eyes. He wondered what was wrong but decided it would be better not to ask. They exited the castle, the smell of a wide variety of flowers hit Kuro with full force.

 

The garden spread for at least several acres, wide and open. A canopy of vibrant pinks and blues lead to a table and chairs at the center, circled by a large lush hedge. Beautiful water fountains shot up in different locations throughout the garden. Kuro looked around, eyeing the garden. A copse of cypress pines flanked them on the outskirts of the garden, while a peaceful thicket of beeches stood guard on the other side, casting a lake of claw shadows on to the grass.

 

“Hey Kuro, did you know the flowers change color for each season? In fall, they’re a beautiful variety of oranges, reds, and yellows, while in the winter, they turn white and blue.” Mahiru gave Kuro a bright smile, excited he could share this with him. Kuro’s heart skipped a beat. He stared mesmerized by how bright Mahiru’s eyes lit up when he talked about the garden.

 

“It’s special to you…” It wasn’t a question. The words slipped from Kuro’s lips, causing him to look away flustered.

 

Mahiru's smile lost its usual luster and he nodded. “Of course... This garden belonged to the late queen.” The same emotion that flickered in Mahiru’s eyes earlier appeared again. A lump caught in Kuro’s throat. He wanted to bring that smile back, seeing Mahiru like this hurt him.  Even though they had only known each other for a week now, it felt like an eternity to Kuro.

 

 “A-Anyway,” Mahiru composed himself, his usual bright and cheerful demeanor returning once more, “So, regarding Tsubaki, do you have any idea why he wants to start a war?”

 

Kuro shrugged and shook his head. “Not a clue. It doesn’t make it any easier knowing his apprentices aren’t human.” Kuro sighed. “It’s such a pain.”

 

Mahiru nodded as he walked up to a beautiful red velvet rose, softly touching it with his the tips of his fingers. Kuro watched a warm vibrant smile appear on Mahiru’s face. _His smiles are beautiful…_  Kuro thought as he followed Mahiru further into the garden.

 

The blue haired mage noticed an assortment of other flowers too. Kuro saw butterflies flutter over lipstick-pink peonies in flower pots and a small patch of electrifying yellow tulips, the color that best represents the beautiful summer. Hummingbirds darted through the air, taking advantage of the abundance of flowers. They walked under the canopy covered in pretty honeysuckle and morning glories which gave off a very ladylike perfume.

 

The earthy aroma percolated through the air, making Kuro inhale deeply, basking in the beauty. He glanced at Mahiru watching him inhale the potpourri of scents, registered as a sweet mixture of grass, vapor, and blossoms.

  
“Isn’t the garden beautiful?” Mahiru asked, beaming with joy. Catching Kuro off guard and snapping him out of his thoughts, the bluenette nodded in response. He stared at Mahiru, unable to tear his eyes away.

 

“Yes.” _But not as beautiful as you_ …

 

“The daisies are my favorite! They are simple and come in a lot of different colors.” Mahiru smiled as he knelt down at the large patch of colorful daisies in front of him.

 

“I’ve been coming to this garden ever since I was little,” Mahiru went on. “But now, thinking simply, because of my duties as a prince, I don’t get to come here a lot.” Another twinkle of sadness passed through Mahiru’s eyes as the prince looked at Kuro with a warm smile.

 

Kuro looked around, scratching his head. He walked over to a hedge of roses and picked the most beautiful rose he could find. It had a vibrant red luster to it with a soft delicate scent. It reminded him of Mahiru. He walked back to Mahiru, but couldn’t meet his gaze.

 

“I think this garden is the very essence of you. It’s brightly colored and very poise.” He whispered with a blush, handing the rose to Mahiru, “H-Here.”

 

Mahiru blinked in surprise, and took the rose from Kuro’s hand. He smiled and held the rose close. “Thank you Kuro.” Mahiru gazed up at him with warm chocolate eyes, obviously touched.

 

Kuro’s lips stretched into a small smile, meeting Mahiru’s warm gaze reminded him of the sun’s rays. For the first time in a long time, Kuro felt happy. He was happy, and it was all because of-

 

 **“You’re worthless Kuro.”** A _familiar_ voice appeared inside his head out of nowhere. He tensed up, eyes wide with shock and horror. **“You don’t deserve, this**. **”** The voice went on. **“You don’t deserve Mahiru. After what you did, you don’t deserve anything but pain and despair.”** The voice cackled in his mind at a deafening pitch, causing Kuro to wince as he stared out into space.

 

Mahiru’s happy expression changed to one of concern as he watched Kuro, whose eyes were uncharacteristically wide and filled with fear. Mahiru walked over to Kuro, frowning in worry.

 

“Kuro? A-Are you alright?”

 

 **“Don’t you think Mahiru deserves much better, Kuro?”** The voice echoed in his head as he met Mahiru’s worried gaze. _Mahiru...you deserve...so much better._

 

“Kuro, what’s wron-”

 

“Mahiru-sama.”

 

 Mahiru turned to see Hanae standing at the entrance of the garden.

 

“Um, sorry Hanae, I’m a little busy ri-”

 

“The King has returned and has requested your presence.”

 

Mahiru’s eyes widened, unsure if he heard correctly, “... Huh?”


	7. The Date?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I-I-In love?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing except some of the ideas. Yukime_Chan, my co-author, owns only some ideas too. That's it.  
> Warning: Yaoi, romance, cursing, swearing, violence because that's always going to have SOME KIND OF involvement. 
> 
> YaoiTora's Comments: If anything in this fanfiction makes any body uncomfortable, please let me know. :)   
> Now that that's cleared up. ENJOY!

**The Seven Mages of Servamp**

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Date?**

Mahiru stared at Hanae in confusion.  _ Uncle has... returned?  _ Mahiru glanced over his shoulder at Kuro who still seemed a little frightened. He looked back at Hanae standing there, waiting patiently with a blank stare. Mahiru let out a nervous chuckle. “I’ll be right there Hanae. Please wait for me inside.”

 

Hanae gave a small nod and turned around, leaving the two alone. Once Mahiru assured himself she was out of earshot, Mahiru turned to Kuro. “Are you alright?” Kuro’s frightened crimson eyes softened seeing Mahiru’s genuine concern for him. 

 

A small silence stood between them until Kuro broke it, “Ah, you worry too much. You’re such a pain I could die.” Letting out an exhausted sigh, Mahiru didn’t seem fully convinced but nodded nonetheless. Kuro looked at Mahiru with his usual bored expression. “I’m fine, Mahiru. Thank you.” He tried to reassure him.

 

Mahiru looked up, meeting Kuro’s gaze. He analyzed the mage’s eyes, seeing his usual sleepy eyes. A small, relieved, smile crept upon his lips. “Okay then, let’s go see my uncle. Thinking simply, I have to introduce you to him!” Mahiru grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers as he lead them to the door.

 

A slight shadow appeared over Kuro’s face when Mahiru turned around.

 

**“Hehehe…”**

 

Misono stared out the window of the carriage, analyzing the information he received earlier. Thinking about it only made him think about it more, making his head spin. His eyes wandered to the tall man seated next to him, watching the scenery pass the window.  _ Why am I even going to the village with this guy in the first pl… Oh yeah. _

 

Tetsu needed to inform his family of him staying at the Alicien mansion.  _ I wonder what excuse he will tell his family? Knowing my luck he might just tell them flat out that I’m his soulmate.  Kill me now... _ Misono glanced at Tetsu who blankly stared at him. Misono quickly looked away, a bright blush forming on his cheeks.  _ Why can’t this bastard stop staring at me? Is there something on my face?  _ Tetsu’s cerulean blue eyes made him nervous and a bit creeped out. Tension filled the silent carriage as both of them shifted awkwardly in their seats, unsure of what to say to each other. Misono looked back out the window, resting his chin on the back of his hand, heaving a sigh. 

 

The silence carried on for a while, Misono looking back and forth between the window and Tetsu.  _ I know why we have to go to the village, but why do we have to go alone? _ Knowing this man was his fated partner made Misono feel...different. For once in his life, Misono didn’t know  _ how _ to act. Sighing again for the fifth time, wishing the silence would stop.

 

“Misono-sama, we’ve arrived at the village.” Dodo spoke up in a sleepy tone.

 

Misono maneuvered himself to look out the window with one leg bent on the seat inside the carriage, the other barely touching the floor.

 

_ “Can you take us directly to the hot springs, Dodo?” _

 

_ “Sure thing Misono-sama…” Dodo gave a loud yawn, eyes half open. _

 

He nodded his head and got back into the carriage.  _ He better not fall asleep… Again.  _ Misono turned around and froze, meeting Tetsu’s gaze face to face. 

 

Misono’s face went cherry red. “Wha-What are you doing bastard?” Misono demanded, hastily scurrying back, hitting the side of the carriage. 

 

“I was trying something. As fated partners, shouldn’t we already be in love?” Tetsu asked innocently, his face completely stoic. 

 

“I-I-In love?” Misono squeaked, “W-w-we don’t even know each other! It’s only been a week! Get out of my face before something happens, you-you bastard!” 

 

Tetsu leaned back in his seat, eyeing Misono deep in thought. Hmm…  _ I’m supposed to… _

* * *

_ Tetsu watched a purple haired chibi go into a panicked frenzy about ‘the bastard prince being the ultimate danger magnet.’ He paced around the room frantically, muttering to himself. For some reason, Tetsu couldn’t take his eyes off the boy. _

 

_ “Psst… Tetsu.” _

 

_ Tetsu reluctantly looked over his shoulder, seeing Lily and Hugh standing some distance off, waving him near. _

 

_ “Come here.” Lily whispered with a small smile. _

 

_ Tetsu glanced back at Chibi, who had been to immersed in his train of thought to notice their exchange. Tetsu shrugged it off and walked over to Lily and Hugh. _

 

_ “What is it?” He whispered, still unsure why they were whispering in the first place. _

 

_ Lily and Hugh looked at each other, grinning. _

 

_ “You see my dear Tetsu,” Hugh started, walking up to Tetsu and patting his leg, “It has been such a dreadfully long time since I’ve truly gotten to converse with my brother Lily here. And although I’d love to go to the village with you, I just can’t part with my brother just yet.” Hugh pleaded, wiping away a fake tear. _

 

_ “Could you do me a favor Tetsu?” _

 

_ Tetsu’s gaze met Lily’s as he nodded. _

 

_ “Take Misono with you.” _

 

_ “Huh? Take Chibi?” _

 

_ Lily put his hand to his mouth, forcing himself to keep his laugh down. _

 

_ “Y-pfft-yes! You see, Misono is so busy training to become a king’s lecture that he rarely has time to go out and enjoy himself. So could you please take him with you? Show him around the village, teach him things, and if you must, you can always show some skin!” _

 

_ Hugh punched his brother in the knee, earning a small yelp in return.  _

 

_ “There you have it Tetsu! Misono shall be by your side in my stead!” _

 

_ Tetsu stared at both of them for a short while before nodding. He turned around and made his way over to the ‘not as panicked’ chibi. _

* * *

Tetsu kept his eyes on the fidgeting Misono.  _ This might be a bit difficult... _

 

“We have arrived, Misono-sama.” Dodo broke the awkward silence that haunted them. 

 

Misono’s concern about the tension between them disappeared. His mind suddenly became overwhelmed.  _ What excuse do we use so his parents will let him stay at the mansion? What if they refuse no matter what? If that happens, how badly will this string hurt us? _

 

“Chibi… Chibi!”

 

Misono jumped at Tetsu’s raised voice. Looking around to see him already outside the carriage waiting for him.

 

“Are you alright?” Tetsu asked, concern slightly visible on his face.

 

“That is not my name, bastard… Y-yeah, I’m fine.”

 

Tetsu held out his hand, offering it to Misono to help him out of the carriage. Misono blushed and looked away, taking his hand. A small chill ran down his spine as Tetsu’s large hand engulfed his. He nearly fell out of the carriage, but luckily managed to catch himself.

 

What was this supposed to be anyway? A chance for him to relax? How could he relax when this man nearly gave him a heart attack at the drop of a hat? On top of that, dealing with the war breaking out between the mages. There was no time to relax.

 

“You think too much. Your brain is going to explode.” Tetsu advised with his usual blank expression.

 

Misono raised an eyebrow.  _ My brain will explode _ ? Misono snorted at that. Although he didn’t want to admit it, Tetsu was right. He needed to relax. 

 

Misono took a deep breath, then a sudden thought hit him.  _ Why wasn’t I taken on a village tour when I was younger? _ The thought lingered in his head, but quickly vanished at the sound of a woman’s voice. 

 

“My baby!” A blonde haired woman wearing a light blue kimono grinned happily as she ran up to Tetsu.

 

“Hi mom.” Mrs. Sendagaya cried as she wrapped her arms around her son’s waist. 

 

“Where have you been? How are you? Are you okay? I heard there was an explosion during the festival and then you disappeared for a week! What were you and Hugh-san doing?” She ranted question after question, looking around for Hugh before looking up at Tetsu, “Where is Hugh?”

 

“He’s at the Shirota castle. It turns out his brothers are staying there too.” Tetsu explained all the events that had taken place, from the explosion, to Hugh’s accident, to being invited to stay at the Alicein estate. His mother’s eye widened as he told his story. 

 

“Oh my! Well, I’ll be sure to make Hugh a nice feast when he comes back!” She smiled happily. “Are you coming home now?” She asked hopefully. She looked past Tetsu, seeing a smaller boy with purple hair wearing very fancy clothes. 

 

“Who are you?” She turned to face him with a puzzled expression. 

 

Misono jumped at the sudden attention, “I-I’m…” Misono blushed.  _ How can I explain this whole mess without revealing too much?  _

 

Tetsu quickly stepped in, “This is my friend Misono Alicein, the one who is letting me stay at his home.” 

 

_ F-f-friend?!  _ Misono’s blush deepened at Tetsu’s comment.

 

His mother gave Misono a warm smile, “Thank you for taking care of my son. Would you like to join us for dinner?” She offered, jestering to the door of the hot springs. Their home seemed humble and quaint, perfect for a hot spring inn. 

 

“We’d love to stay mom, but we just came by to tell you what happened. Misono and I will eat out, I promised him a village tour after all.” 

 

_ Eating out?! Like a d-d-d-date?!  _ His blush poofed into a ball of steam as all the blood rushed to his face.

 

His mother gave a slight frown, but her smile quickly returned, “Of course, dear! I understand! Wait just a moment! I’ll go pack your things! Oh, and I’ll grab Hugh’s things too!” She exclaimed as she rushed into the house. 

 

Tetsu turned to face Misono and his eyes widened in surprise, “Wow, you steam just as much as our hot springs.” Tetsu waved his hand through the stream, impressed.

 

“S-shut up, b-bastard!” Misono swat at his hand and turned his back to him, trying his best to cool down.

 

Tetsu stared at him for awhile before shrugging it off. His mother quickly exited the house, bringing Tetsu several bags of stuff. After exchanging hugs and goodbyes, they entered the carriage to make their way down to the village. 

 

“So where to Misono-sama?” Dodo called from the front seat of the carriage in a tired tone, ready to call it a day already.

 

Misono sat across from Tetsu, pondering that question.  _ I swear this awkwardness is going to kill me before the end of the day, but I promised Tetsu I would come to the village with him. I need to keep my word. But I don’t know the village that well, only Mahiru… Wait… _

 

“Hey Dodo, can you take us to that place that is owned by Mahiru’s villager friends? Do you know where it is?

 

“Sure thing boss, I could get you there with my eyes closed.” He yawned.

 

“Please don’t try…” Misono pleaded, knowing Dodo, he just might.

 

“Friends of Mahiru-aniki?” Tetsu tilted his head.

 

“Ah, yeah. That bastard Mahiru has a bad habit of sneaking out of the castle. Turns out he made some friends in the process. Apparently, they own a small bakery at the edge of town.” Misono explained, but had issues making eye contact.

 

“Oh, that bakery!” Tetsu’s eyes lit up, “They are really good, my mom loves their cookies!”

 

_ Phew! I picked a good spot. _

 

Their carriage trotted along, pulling up in front of the bakery. Misono hopped out before Tetsu could offer his hand again.  _ I’ve blushed enough today to last me a lifetime… _

 

“Where would you like me to wait for you Misono-sama?”

 

“Hmm, where you dropped us off for the festival would be good.”

 

Dodo nodded, leading the carriage away, leaving Tetsu and Misono standing at the bakery’s entrance.

 

“Well, shall we go in?” Tetsu motioned to the door.

 

“... Yeah.” Misono whispered, averting his gaze.

 

They entered the small little bakery and found themselves a small table for two. Tetsu’s large, robust body made the table look like a plate itself. Misono looked around. Being the afternoon, the bakery was almost completely full, they were lucky to get here when they did.

 

A tall brunette with kind eyes scurried towards them, obviously flustered from the traffic rush. “Hello gentlemen!” He said with a kind smile, “Here are your menus, I will come back in a moment to take your order.” He bowed before rushing off to the kitchen.

 

Tetsu took the menu, scanning through it when he noticed Misono staring at it blankly.

 

“Something wrong?”

 

“Huh? Oh, it’s just… What is this for?” Misono hesitated, pointing at the menu.

 

“Hmm? It’s a menu, you pick what you want to eat from it and tell the waiter.”

 

“Oh really?” Misono looked surprised, staring back at the menu, “The chiefs at my mansion just make different meals every night. I don’t really get to choose.”

 

He picked up the menu, skimming through it till something caught his eye.

 

_ Chocolate Fondue. _

 

His eyes widened and his mouth started to water.  _ I haven’t had that in so long! _ When Misono lifted his gaze, their waiter had returned. 

 

“What can I get for you gentlemen?” He smiled, pen and pad in hand.

 

“I’ll just have a few cookies please.” Tetsu said simply.

 

Misono observed Tetsu, deciding to mimic him, “I’ll have the-the chocolate fo-fondue p-please.” He tried to control his stutter, but that only seemed to make it worse.

 

Their waiter didn’t question it at all and just gave him a warm smile, “Alrighty! I will have those for you shortly!” He said, taking their menus before darting off again.

 

The awkward silence between them popped up again, but didn’t last long thanks to Tetsu.

 

“Why haven’t you been around the village before?”

 

His question surprised Misono, making him look up to meet his eyes.

 

“Eh, uh, well… I don’t really know… My father never really liked me coming down to the village without supervision. And whenever I asked him, he would change the topic quickly or give me an errand to run for Mahiru…” Misono frowned, staring at his lap.

 

“Well it is different now right? Since you are making so many friends.” Tetsu stated bluntly.

 

Misono looked at him with wide eyes.  _ That’s right. I have more friends than just Mahiru and Lily now. Having friends… feels nice. _

 

“Here are your orders gentlemen!” Their waiter suddenly appeared, placing their orders in front of them. Misono’s jaw almost hit the floor at the beautiful creation in front of him.

 

“Please enjoy and let me know if there is anything else you need!”

 

Not long after he left, Tetsu munched on his cookies while Misono, elegantly mind you, snarfed down his chocolate fondue.

 

After finishing his delicious dessert, Misono gave a content smile. Tetsu’s eyes widened slightly when he saw that smile.  _ Pretty… _

 

“Check please.” Tetsu motioned to their waiter, who nodded and headed towards them.

 

“Oh it’s fine, I’ll pay!” Misono said, about to reach for his pocket before a hand grabbed his, making his heart jump into his throat.

 

“No, it’s okay, I insist.” Tetsu urged, squeezing his hand slightly before letting go to pay their waiter.

 

Misono took his hand and covered his face, attempting to hide his blush.  _ Ugh, this is feeling more and more like a date… _

 

After paying, Misono and Tetsu made their way outside, standing in front of the bakery once again.

 

“Where to now, it’s only mid-afternoon?” Tetsu looked down at Misono, wanting him to pick.

 

Misono scratched his chin, “Well, I haven’t really explored the village much before. I only knew of this place because of Mahiru. Um… Where do you usually go?” Misono asked in curiosity.

 

“Me? Well, I’m usually at the hot springs most of the time, but there are a few places I like to visit in town.”

 

“Very well, then lead the way.” Misono put out his had to jester him to lead, but he didn’t expect him to grab it.

 

“W-wha-what are you doing?!” Misono panicked.

 

“Huh? Oh, I just don’t want you to get lost in the crowd. You are a chibi after all.” 

 

“Excuse you!” Before Misono could retort any further, Tetsu pulled him along.

 

Tetsu guided Misono through the crowd, taking them to the out of town. The buildings got smaller and smaller behind them as they made their way through a beautiful pasture full of wildflowers.

 

“Hey, where are we going?”

 

“I’m taking you to my favorite spot.” Tetsu stated as they reached the bottom a hill. Before he continued, he turned around at the sound of someone gasping. He looked down to see Misono hunched over, trying to catch is breath.

 

“Are you alright?” Tetsu looked at him with concern.

 

“Yeah.. I just… don’t have a… very strong… body.” Misono rasped between gasps.

 

Tetsu stared at him for a second, pondering his options, “I see…” He said as he let go of Misono’s hand.

 

For some reason, Misono felt disappointed when he let go, but Tetsu didn’t give him a chance for the disappointment to kick in as he lifted Misono up in his arms, holding him princess style.

 

“BASTARD! W-W-WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” Misono screeched, unable to struggle in Tetsu’s strong arms.

 

“Ah? You’re tired right? Just rest. I’ll take you the rest of the way.” Tetsu tightened his grip on Misono slightly as he ran up the hill with impressive speed. Misono wrapped his arms around Tetsu’s neck on reflex to hold on.

 

In what seemed like only a brief second, Tetsu stopped and slowly lowered Misono to the ground. Misono quickly remove his arms from around Tetsu’s neck and steadied himself on the ground.

 

“B-b-bastard, don’t do that again.” Misono mumbled with a blush, lightly hitting Tetsu’s chest.

 

Tetsu glanced down at him and shrugged before looking up past Misono. Misono turned around and his eyes widened in wonder at the sight before him. The hill overlooked the entire kingdom. He could see the castle’s garden, vaguely making out servants tending to the flowers. Villagers scurried through the streets as they went about their business. Children played in the streets with their dogs. Farmers off in the distance tended to their fields and livestock. Misono watched in awe as he took everything in. He never had this kind of a view at his mansion. 

 

“I thought this would be the best way to show you the entire village.”

 

Misono gazed up at him, eyes sparkling with amazement. Tetsu’s eyes widened as their eyes met. He felt his cheeks heat up as he stared deep into his violet eyes. He quickly looked away, wondering why his heart was beating so fast.

 

“T-this is where I come when I need to clear my head.”

 

Misono returned his gaze to the horizon, “I can see why. It’s very peaceful here.” Letting a smile make its way on his face. 

 

Misono sat down in a dry grassy patch, not taking his eyes off the sight before him. Tetsu joined him, but his eyes focused not on the beautiful scenery, but on Misono himself. Tetsu gave a small smile before turning his head to the scenery.  _ He’s so cute... _

 

They didn’t know how long they had been there before the sun started to make its decent behind the mountains.

 

“Oh, that’s right, there’s one other place I want to take you!” Tetsu exclaimed.

 

Misono looked up at him in curiosity, his gaze urging him to continue.

 

“It’s one of my favorite stores in town, there isn’t another one like it anywhere. But we have to hurry, they close soon!” Tetsu sprung to his feet, offering Misono his hand, which he hesitantly took.

 

“Want me to carry you again?”   
  
“Hell to the no.”

* * *

 

After some intense running, they found themselves in front of a simple antique shop.

 

“Good, they haven’t closed yet. This place is incredible! It has things from many different kingdoms.” Tetsu said as he held open the door for Misono.

 

Misono walked in slowly. His eyes widened in fascination at the dozens of interesting gadgets and trinkets that lined the shelves, most of which he had never seen before.

 

“Incredib-”

 

“Welcome valued customers! Feel free to ask me anything!” A young man with blonde hair and small braids holding a doll emerged from the back room. A very tall man wearing a black cloth veil that completely covered his face followed close behind him.

 

“... You’re too loud Mikuni... “ The man whispered in an irritated tone,  _ red  _ eyes shining through raged holes in his veil.

 

“Come now Jeje, that’s no way to behave in front of custo-” Mikuni stopped short when his eyes laid on his  _ customers  _ for the first time.

 

Misono’s heart stopped as he looked at the owner of the store in shock. Time itself seemed to stop as they stared at each other. Misono’s heart quickly started back up again when the situation caught up with him. Blood rushed to his face in rage as he glared daggers at the man before him. His shoulders shook as he spat out the man’s name with venom.

 

**_“Mikuni…”_ **


	8. Mikuni

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You don’t need to concern yourself with such trifle matters Misono. All you have to do is lay low and leave the rest to us.”

**The Seven Mages of Servamp**

* * *

**Chapter 8- Mikuni**

“Well, if it isn’t my dearest little brother!” Mikuni’s shocked expression shifted to one of amusement as he approached Misono.

 

Tetsu’s eyes widen in shock at the man’s comment, glancing down at a highly defensive Misono.  _ Brother? _

 

Misono entered a small fighting stance as he continued to glare at his brother,  **_“How dare you show your face in this village you scum!”_ **

 

“My my, where did my sweet little brother learn such language?” Mikuni snickered with a mischievous smile.

 

**_“What difference does it make you bastard?!”_ ** Misono hissed, his shoulders shaking in rage. 

 

Tetsu looked at Misono in complete and utter shock.  _ What’s wrong with chibi? Why is he acting this way with his brother? _

 

“Now now, is that really how you want to talk to your big brother that you haven’t seen in so long?” Mikuni put on a shocked expression, bringing his hand to his mouth.

 

**_“Damn right!”_ **

 

“Aww, but Abel missed you so much! She was just telling me how much she wanted to see you! Say hi Abel!” Mikuni said in a cheery tone, gently shaking the doll in Misono’s face.

 

**_“Knock it off you damn lunatic!”_ ** Misono yelled as he tried to swat the doll away.

 

Mikuni quickly brought the doll back to his chest, seeming to calm it.

 

“It’s alright Abel, I’m sorry that he scared you! Don’t worry you are safe with me.” He said in a sweet, soothing manner, rubbing the doll against his face.

 

**_“Moron.”_ **

 

“... Mikuni… Shut.Up…” Jeje whispered behind him, pointing a sharp blade to his back.

 

Mikuni turned to face him, giving him a sly smile, “Aww, are you jealous Jeje?”

 

With that, Jeje proceeded to slash at Mikuni with multiple blades, missing every time as Mikuni skillfully dodged.

 

“Oh, you’re so scary Jeje!” He laughed as Jeje went to pout in a corner.

 

**_“Forget this! I’m out of here!”_ ** Misono declared, turning his back to leave.

 

“Ah, so sad. Even though we haven’t seen each other in so long.” Mikuni sniffled, wiping away fake tears, “But you know…” Mikuni’s expression turned serious, “Isn’t it dangerous for you to walk around the village unguarded, you know, with the current  **_war_ ** going on and everything.”

 

Misono froze and quickly swiveled back around, “... What did you just say?”

 

“Why, I thought you knew?” Mikuni played another shocked face.

 

**_“I do know you bastard! Now tell me how you know that!”_ ** Misono rushed up to his brother, grabbing him by his collar and shaking him, gritting his teeth.

 

“Hmm, let’s see. What do I know?” Mikuni looked off into the distance, tapping his index finger on his chin, pretending to think about the question.

 

**_“Damn it! Just stop playing around and tell me!”_ **

 

Mikuni returned his gaze to Misono. Misono flinched as his brother’s cold, hard gaze, letting go of his collar and taking several steps back. A shadow appeared over Mikuni’s face, his voice dark and rough.

 

“You don’t need to concern yourself with such trifle matters Misono. All you have to do is lay low and leave the rest to **_us_** _.”_

 

A shiver crept down Misono’s spine as he backed away further, running into Tetsu’s chest. He jumped at the sudden contact and looked up, seeing Tetsu glaring at Mikuni.

 

“Let’s go Misono.” Tetsu hissed in a serious tone, grabbing Misono’s hand and heading for the door.

 

“Do come again little brother! There are many other things we can talk about after all.” Mikuni said with a devilish smile as the door fell shut behind them.

 

Mikuni’s expression turned sour as a deep frown formed on his face, “We’ll have to keep an extra close eye on him Jeje. Especially that tall blonde, after all, he is involved with the Mage of Pride.”

* * *

Tetsu stormed out of the store, tightly holding Misono’s hand as he took them far away. He didn’t think about where they were going Tetsu just wanted to get Misono out of that shop. 

 

“W-wait Tetsu! That’s enough!” Misono shouted, getting Tetsu’s attention. 

 

Tetsu slowed down, finally coming to a halt. He let go of Misono’s hand and looked over to the side, feeling ashamed, “Sorry…” He turned around with an apologetic look on his face. Misono blinked in confusion.

 

“Huh? What do you mean? That wasn’t your fault ba-”

 

“Misono.”

 

Misono stopped and looked around, hearing a familiar voice. He spotted a black and pink butterfly fluttering his way, landing on the cowlick sticking out from the rest of his hair.

 

“Damn it, I told you not to do that Lily!” Misono yelled and swat at the butterfly, earning some confused looks from passerbyers. Misono quickly glanced around, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance.  _ I look like a lunatic.  _ He shook his head, regaining his composure.

 

“What do you want Lily? You better not have been spying on us!” Misono crossed his arms, giving the butterfly a dirty look.

 

“I would never!” Lily chuckled, being sure to fly out of Misono’s reach, which didn’t take much.

 

“Get to the point bastard!”

 

“Misono,” Lily’s voice turned serious, “The King has returned and has summoned your presence.”

 

Misono stared at Lily blankly until the pieces fit together, “THE KING HAS WHAT?”

* * *

Mahiru peeked his head around the corner, staring at the man sitting on the throne. The man propped his head on his hand, listening to a man with a long pale ponytail and glasses.  _ Ah, it’s Misono’s father.  _ Mahiru looked over his shoulder at Kuro, who seemed a little apprehensive about meeting the king. 

 

_ What if he doesn’t like me? What if me being here gets Mahiru in trouble? There’s no way he will easily accept me as his nephew’s soulmate… _ A sudden touch on his hand pulled Kuro out of his thoughts. He looked at Mahiru who gave him a reassuring smile. 

 

“Don’t worry Kuro. I’m sure my uncle will like you!  I know you’re a good person and I’ve only known you for a week.” 

 

Kuro nodded slowly, the corners of his lips stretching at what Mahiru said.  _ I really don’t deserve you... _

 

Mahiru peeked around the corner again. It appeared their discussion had finally come to an end; now they just seemed to be talking casually.

 

“We should go,” Kuro yawned, “It’ll be troublesome if they catch us spying on th-” Kuro blinked, noticing Mahiru had already walked into the throne room. He looked around and quickly scurried after him, not wanting to leave Mahiru’s side. 

 

The two men continued to talk until the one on the throne noticed Mahiru. 

 

“Ah, Mahiru! There you are!” Mahiru tensed up when his uncle addressed him. Misono’s father turned to him, bowing politely. 

 

“Greetings, Mahiru-sama. Where is Misono?” 

 

Mahiru gave a bow in return, meeting his gaze, “I believe he went out with a friend. Lily told me that Misono needed time to think about some things.” 

 

Misono’s father pushed up his glasses and Mahiru saw something flicker in his eyes, “A friend huh?”

 

Mahiru tilted his head, confused by his sudden change in attitude.

 

“If you see him, tell him I’ll be in my study.” He stated as he gave another bow and headed for the exit

 

“Y-yes, Lord Mikado, I will do that.” Mahiru bowed as Mikado left the room.

 

Mahiru quickly straightened up as he turned to face his uncle. “Welcome back Uncle Tooru!” A bright smile lit up his face. Kuro could tell just by that smile how much this man meant to Mahiru, which made him even more nervous about messing up.

 

“Ah, it’s good to be back. Traveling in the mountains is exhausting, but also fun. I guess you could say they are HILL-arious!” Tooru burst out laughing while Mahiru let out an exhausted sigh. His uncle perked up upon remembering something, “Oh that’s right, I received word that you went on a little adventure while I was away, and on top of that almost got yourself killed.”

 

Mahiru’s heart jumped into his throat. He had forgotten about that.  _ What do I do? I probably should tell my uncle about Tsubaki, but I don’t want him to worry! I don’t want him caught up in this mess! _

 

“S-sneaking out of the castle… Uh... I can explain-”

 

“Don’t worry about it, Mahiru! I think you’ve had enough lectures from just Misono to last you a lifetime.” The king grinned and Mahiru’s shoulders relaxed as a sigh of relief escaped his lips. 

 

“Thank you Uncle.” 

 

“That doesn’t mean you ignore your duties as a prince however.” Tooru added, making Mahiru sweatdrop. 

 

“Yes Uncle Tooru, I know.”

 

“Now, who might this be?” Tooru asked, pointing to the bluenette standing close behind Mahiru. Kuro tensed up at the sudden attention, looking down at his feet. Mahiru glanced back at Kuro, seeing his reaction. Mahiru snuck his hand behind him and grabbed Kuro’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. 

 

“This is Ash. He’s the one who protected me during the festival’s explosion.” Mahiru smiled with confidence, “He’s going to be staying here at the castle for a while.” Mahiru dropped his head slightly without losing eye contact, realizing that he hadn’t gotten permission for Kuro to stay in the castle. “Is...that okay?” 

 

Tooru stared in surprise and gave them a wide smile, “Of course he can stay! He’ll be our honored guest. He saved the crowned prince after all.” Kuro blushed at the words  _ honored guest _ . These people were too kind for their own good.  _ Can’t deal… _

 

Tooru briskly approached Kuro, laying his hand on his shoulder, “Thank you Ash-sama, for protecting my nephew. I am forever in your debt, so please feel free to stay as long as you like.” Kuro’s eyes widened in shock as he felt his cheeks heat up. He quickly turned his head away to hide his blush. 

 

“Y-You’re welcome…”  _ This is so troublesome I could die. _

 

Tooru gave him another smile, not questioning his shy nature.  “Haha! No need to be so BLUE!”

 

“Uncle!” 

 

Tooru gave Mahiru a grin and ruffled his nephew’s hair, “It’s getting late. Off to bed with you! A prince needs his beauty rest.” Letting out a small chuckle. 

 

“Haha, yes Uncle. Goodnight.” Mahiru’s hand still gripped Kuro’s as he turned around, leading them both out of the room.

 

Tooru watched them leave, his hand on his chin as he thought.  _ Ash huh? What an interesting fellow. He’s obviously very important to Mahiru.  _ A warm smile made its way into his face.  _ Thank you Ash-sama, look like my nephew won’t be as lonely anymore. _

* * *

Misono and Tetsu finally arrived back at the Alicien estate after sundown, the twinkling lights of the lanterns lit the path to the entrance. Although it was late, Misono’s “deep sleep routine” luckily hadn’t kicked in yet. They both stopped, standing in front of the door.

 

“Well, I guess this is it... I’m sorry that the tour didn’t end too well.” Tetsu apologized, staring at his feet. Misono looked up at him with wide eyes, knowing it had something to do with his brother’s sudden appearance. Misono shook his head.

 

“That was not your fault.” Misono reassured him, “That bastard’s up to something, I can feel it, but worrying about it won’t help either of us.” 

 

Misono gazed up at Tetsu, giving him a smile. Tetsu’s eyes widened, his cheeks turned slightly pink as he stared down at the boy’s adorable smile.

 

“A-anyway,” Misono turned away, looking off into the distance, “I’m need to go to the castle. The servants will show you to your room. Let’s go Lily.” Misono turned to take his leave with the butterfly on his shoulder but stopped, his back facing Tetsu.

 

“Hey, Sendagaya…”

 

“Yes?”

 

Misono turned around, a slight blush highlighted his cheeks as he looked Tetsu in the eye, “... Thank you…” With that, Misono quickly made his way down the path, heading for the castle.

 

The blonde boy watched Misono leave with a dumbfounded expression. He turned around dazed and entered the mansion.

 

“Tetsu! You’re back! ...Hah? Tetsu, what’s wrong with your face?” 

 

Misono sighed as he walked toward the castle. Memories of the whole day replayed in his head and surprisingly, he enjoyed it. He didn’t know what to make of it, but it felt... nice.

 

“Misono, I do believe you should pay the king a visit now that he’s home.” Lily spoke up, still resting on his shoulder. Misono looked at Lily and nodded. 

 

“I know, Lily.” Misono replied, picking up the pace. 

 

After a ridiculously long walk, he managed to make it to the entrance of the castle. Misono gasped, begging for air.  _ Why does everything in this place have to be so far away from each other?  _ Misono quickly caught his breath and composed himself. He entered the castle, greeting the guards as he headed to the throne room.  _ I wonder what the king wants of me.  _ Misono scrutinized. Lily hadn’t really explained why the king had summoned him, but it was likely about Mahiru. 

 

Finally at the throne room, Misono took a deep breath and walked in with confidence. “Welcome back, Tooru-sama.” He greeted the king, bowing before walking towards the throne.

 

“Why hello Misono!” Tooru gave Misono a smile, rising from his throne, stretching out his back, “Man, we need to get a new throne. This one is way too old. It’s backbreaking!” Tooru grinned and chuckled loudly. Misono sweatdropped. 

 

“M-My king, that throne has been in the Shirota family for generations.” Misono mentioned. 

 

“Our ancestors always did CHAIRish these things, but I couldn’t CHAIR less!” The king broke down laughing while Misono stood there with a pained expression.

 

_ Ugh… Please, make it stop... _

 

“Don’t worry about it, Misono. You’re too young to be worrying about such things. You just need to focus on the simple things for now.” Misono’s lip twitched.  _ Simple things…  _ Misono repeated in his head.  _ If things were simple, everything would be fine. But with this bastard Tsubaki and the war-  _ Misono shook his head. He didn’t want to think about. “Anyway, Misono,” Tooru continued, catching Misono’s attention, “I wanted to ask if you had any ideas about what we should do for Mahiru’s birthday? We could always get him a new tree for the garden, since it is his BERCH-day!” Tooru snickered.

 

Misono blinked, ignoring the pun, letting Tooru’s words mull around in his head until it clicked.  _ Crap! Mahiru’s birthday is three days away! I’ve been so busy dealing with Tsubaki that I completely spaced it! _ Before Misono could start panicking, a thought hit him like a ton of bricks. He smiled, bringing his hand to his chin, striking a confident pose.

 

“I have a great idea!”

* * *

 

Otogiri arrived at the Watanuki mansion shortly after Misono had finished his meeting with the king. She decided to take this opportunity to inform Tsubaki about the upcoming event. Upon entering the mansion, she was greeted with a bunch of shouts and cheers from her fellow apprentices. She looked at the rowdy bunch sitting around Tsubaki playing a game.  _ Ah, Tsubaki-san must be in a good mood, that won’t cause a problem... _

 

She glanced over, spotting Sakuya sitting on a windowsill, staring out into space.  _ Telling Sakuya’s still going to be a problem.. _ . Putting off what she had witnessed between Mahiru-sama and Sleepy Ash was the best thing to do for the time being. She slowly walked over to Tsubaki, whose seemed completely immersed in the game, not noticing her presence. 

 

“Tsubaki-san, I have information.” Otogiri spoke. Everyone stopped, turning their attention to Otogiri. Tsubaki jumped, losing focus, but met her gaze with intrigued red eyes. 

 

“Oh? What might that be?” Tsubaki questioned, “Is it interesting?”

 

Otogiri nodded, “Yes.” She answered, lowering her head to whisper something into Tsubaki’s ear. 

 

Tsubaki’s unamused face changed. A wide grin appeared on his face as he gave a small chuckle.

 

“Now that  _ is _ interesting. Well done Otogiri. Looks like things aren’t going to be so boring. For a while anyway. Continue to keep an eye on the prince and inform me of any more details.”

 

“As you wish Tsubaki-san, I will observe to Mahiru-sama for as long as you wish.” She complied, giving Tsubaki a small bow.

 

“Ah! Giri-oto, why are you referring to that prince as “Mahiru-sama”?”

 

“I am in my maid uniform. I must stay with character, Belkia.” She replied, turning back to Tsubaki. “What should we do?”

 

Tsubaki grinned at the new found information, thinking it over carefully. He glanced over, noticing Sakuya hadn’t acknowledged anything that had happened.

 

“I think Sakuya should go.”

 

Sakuya jumped upon hearing his name, looking over at Tsubaki, who motioned him over. Sakuya approaches Tsubaki, leaning down so Tsubaki could whisper in his ear.

 

“Ah! No fair tell me too Tsubakyun!” Belkia flailed his arms, trying to get his attention.

 

“Please Young Master! Don’t choose the Lier! Allow me to do this important task!” A tall man with pale hair and an eyepatch quickly stood up, placing his hand on his heart in a formal fashion.

 

Both of them went ignored as Tsubaki continued to whisper to Sakuya. Sakuya listen closely, looking intrigued. However, Sakuya wasn’t pretending. This involved Mahiru afterall.

 

When Tsubaki finished, Sakuya straightened his posture, looking Tsubaki in the eyes. 

 

“So, what do you think Sakuya?”

 

Sakuya’s eyes narrowed slightly, “I’ll go.” 

 

Tsubaki smiled happily.

 

“It’s perfect!” He turned to Otogiri, “You’re going to be there too, correct?” Otogiri gave a small nod in reply.

 

“She works there. Of course she is going to be there stupid.” Sakuya grumbled to himself, knowing Otogiri would likely ruin his time with Mahiru. 

 

“Young Master, with all do respect, shouldn’t we send more people?” 

 

Tsubaki turned his head, “No need, Shamrock. Sakuya’s the right man for the job.” 

 

Tsubaki grinned. His mood had gotten infinitely better since receiving such interesting information. Tsubaki chuckled devilishly to himself.  _ What move are you going to make, Big Brother? _


	9. Shall We Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Mahiru’s… Birthday?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's supposed to be a bring-smiles-to-everyone's faces chapter becaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuse, I'm going to school. Yup, I dread school but it's time... it's time for slow updates. 
> 
> I want to do a bi-weekly schedule [Every two weeks]. But for now it has to depend on my schedule [for now so I can get settled and used to the school setting because it's college. Even better xD 
> 
> But anyway, a bi-weekly schedule [experimental purely at first] and for now updates will depend on my co-author's schedule also because she has work rather than college so all shall depend for now ^___^
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter. We tried to make it funny and all around fun :)
> 
> Comment, leave a kudos, enjoy~  
> Bye~!  
> -YaoiTora =3

“We should be arriving at the castle soon, my Lord!” A brunette haired coachman with an impressive beard exclaimed from the front seat of the carriage, focused on the path towards their destination. The prince of the elves had been personally invited to the human kingdom for a piano performance. 

“How long until we get there Gil? I want to have a feast already!” Came a whiny reply from inside the carriage.

 

“Get off me, Shit Rat! How dare you touch a being as pure as I!” 

 

Gil’s eye twitched in annoyance. Great. _Here we go. More fighting…_ _Why do both of my masters have to be so difficult?_ Gil sighed in exhaustion, unable to answer the his Lord’s question.

 

“Aw, come on, Angel Cakes,” The man begged in an exaggerated voice, “It’s been such a long day! I’m tired and I wanna sleep. We don’t have any pillows so I need-” A loud rumble shook the carriage, followed by a shriek of pain. Gil frantically managed to prevent the carriage from tipping over tip with their insane fighting.

 

“Use the damn windowsill as a pillow, stupid hedgehog!”

 

“Knock it off, both of you!” A serious voice spoke up above the two bickering boys.

 

Silence fell upon the carriage as Gil felt relieved.  _ Ah, finally, It’s quiet... Well, at least I don’t have to stop the carriage again…  _

 

“Don’t you two make me have Guildenstern stop the carriage again?” Gil’s eye twitched. 

 

_ No, no, no, no!  _ “Kranz-” Before Gil could join in on the argument, protesting the idea, his silent prayer was answered. 

 

“Don’t stop the carriage!” A frantic cry came from the young Lord. “The faster we get there, the sooner I get to play!” 

 

Gil let out a low groan.  _ I’ll be damned before I stop this carriage  _ **_again_ ** _ , but at this rate, they might force us to stop by tipping the whole damn thing... _

 

“We can’t wait to listen to your beautiful performance, my prince.  **But** you two must behave yourselves! You are both representing the elf kingdom after all!” Kranz tried to lecture, but went unheard. 

 

“Come on, Angel-chan, let me sleep on your lap!” The  _ Shit Rat _ pleaded. 

 

“Sleep on Kranz, Demon!”

* * *

“Hey! Wake up you bastard!” A familiar yell echoed through the prince’s bedroom as sheets flew off the bed.

 

“Ugh.. Um… Cold.” Mahiru turned over, instinctively patting around beside him, searching for something warm.

 

“Huh?” Mahiru opened his eyes to find Kuro… Nowhere? He slowly sat up, rubbing his sleepy eyes, “Hey, where’s Kuro? And what do you want Misono? It’s ridiculously early for a lecture.” He groaned, letting out a huge yawn.

 

Misono gave him a small glare at the last comment, but held his tongue, “Lily took Kuro to have a little chat with him. As for what I want, I want you to get your ass out of bed so we can go!” He yelled, hurling clothes at Mahiru, who barely managed to catch them.

 

“...Go? Go where?” He gave Misono a confused look as he stood up, getting dressed.

 

“That is a secret! I’ve already packed your things into the carriage. You sleep like a damn log! If I was an assassin, you would be dead for sure! Learn some self awareness would ya?” Misono huffed.

 

“Yeah yeah, I know, I know…” Mahiru let out a deep sigh.  _ It’s way too early for this… _

 

“Move your butt  _ Princess _ !”

 

“That’s uncalled for Misono…” Mahiru puffed his cheeks out in a pout as he followed the chibi out the door.

* * *

“Mahiru’s… Birthday?”

 

“Yep! Yep! What do you think of our little plan? Isn’t it exciting?” Lily gave a little hop, clapping his hands together in excitement.

 

Kuro looked away, focusing on nothing in particular, “It’s so troublesome I could die… But…” A glimmer of pain shot through his eyes, and it didn’t go unnoticed.

 

Lily gave him a wide-eyed, confused look, “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to celebrate Mahiru-kun’s birthday? Shall I strip to make you feel better?”   
  


“Of course I want to!” Kuro faced him with a serious expression, “And keep your clothes on! It’s just that…” Kuro rubbed his neck, unsure how to word what he wanted to say, “It’s just… Why didn’t he tell me?” A small frown appeared.

 

“Ah that! He forgot about his birthday all together!” Lily stated bluntly with a warm smile.

 

“What?”

 

“He forgot! He is a simpleton after all!” Lily let out a small chuckle.

 

Kuro stared at Lily absolutely dumbfounded.  _ How can someone forget their own birthday? Well, I mean, I do, but I’m immortal, so I don’t care about my birthday. But how could he forg- _ An image of Tsubaki flashed through Kuro’s mind, halting his thought process.  _ Ah, that’s right… Tsubaki… _

 

“He’s likely really overwhelmed with Tsubaki right now…” Kuro’s frown deepened, wishing he hadn’t drug Mahiru into such a mess.

 

Lily’s eyes softened, but he didn’t let his smile falter, “Yes. Then this is the best way to help him relax! Being a prince isn’t easy!” Lily paused, thinking of something, “So, what are you going to do for him Big Brother?” Lily gave him a sly smile, bringing his hand to his chin in a thoughtful manner.

 

Kuro jumped a little, a small blush highlighting his cheeks, “M-m-me?”

 

“Why yes! You do want to impress him.. Don’t you?” Lily let the last words drip off his lips like honey, sweet and savory.

 

Kuro’s blushed deepened as he shot his gaze to his feet, mumbling “W-well of course I do… I don’t want to disappoint him...”

 

“Then Big Brother,” Lily struck a pose, gaining Kuro’s attention as he offered his hand out to him, “Shall we dance?”

* * *

The carriage trotted along, finally stopping at its destination. Kuro hopped on top of Mahiru’s head as he peeked through the carriage window. Mahiru’s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting to come here.

 

“Huh? The… Hot Springs Inn?” Mahiru blinked dumbfounded.  _ What are we doing here _ ? He watched as Misono got out of the carriage and had been the third to get out after Tetsu. “Misono, what are we doing here?”

 

“That’s a secret!” Misono gave Mahiru a knowing smirk and a confident stance, “This is where we’ll be staying though for three days.” 

 

Mahiru raised an eyebrow.  _ Three days? Why so long? _

 

“This is my family’s hot spring. We’ve lived here for generations. Feel free to make yourself at home.” Tetsu explained as he held the door of the inn open for everyone.

 

“Oh that’s right, your family does own a hot spring! I forgot about that!” Mahiru realized as he walked through the door. Mahiru gave him a quick nod. “Thanks, Tetsu.” 

 

“No problem, Mahiru-aniki.” 

 

Mahiru smiled, making his way towards the front desk with Misono. “Misono, don’t you think three days is kinda long?” He hesitated, leaning down to whisper in Misono’s ear, “Shouldn’t we be focusing on Tsubaki and this war?”  _ I don’t want anyone getting hurt. Nobody was seriously hurt in the explosion, thankfully, but what about next time? We need to resolve this as quickly and simply as possible.  _ Misono turned to the prince with a soft expression. 

 

“I understand your concern. We are keeping a sharp eye out for him, but so far there haven’t been any sightings. And I’m pretty sure there won’t be for a while.” He placed his hand on Mahiru’s shoulder, “As your king lecture, I advise you to get into the hot spring and let your worries fade away. Do that or else I’ll push you in! I will only accept yes as an answer!” Misono gave an intimidating smile, causing Mahiru to feel a shiver run down his spine. 

 

_ Talk about force!  _ Mahiru thought as he sighed. 

 

“You shouldn’t be worrying so much,” Kuro spoke up from Mahiru’s shoulder. Mahiru blinked, looking into the cat’s red eyes. 

 

“But-”

 

“Look at this as a time to let loose.” Kuro interrupted hopping off his shoulder and changing to his human form. “You need this. You’re becoming more of a nagging housewife with each passing day. I can’t deal.” 

 

“HEY! Who are you calling housewife?!” A tick mark appeared on his forehead with a motherly glare directed at Kuro.

 

“Oh no, the housewife is angry, runaway.” Kuro drawled in a lazy, unenthused tone, quickly disappearing down a hallway. 

 

“Hey! Where are you going Kuro?!” Before Mahiru could give chase, a long arm stopped him. Surprised, Mahiru looked up to see Lily. 

 

“No need to worry Mahiru-kun, I will fetch him,” Lily gave him an innocent smile, “Please go and relax with the others Mahiru-kun, I will bring him back momentarily.” With that, Lily swiftly made his way down the hall. Mahiru silently stared after him. 

 

Mahiru sighed, deciding not to question it.  _ Hmm, Kuro said to ‘let loose’… but what do I need let loose for?  _ He glanced over at Misono filling out papers at the front desk.  _ He’s up to something. What’s so important that they had to come here? Sure I am a bit tired after everything that has happened, but thinking simply, I have to do this. I’m the prince, it’s my responsibility to keep them safe... _

 

“Alright, we’re all checked in!” Misono chimed, breaking Mahiru out of his thoughts, “What’re you standing there for, Mahiru? Let’s go!” The purple haired boy grabbed Mahiru’s wrist, dragging him to the men’s changing room, followed by Tetsu and Hugh.

 

Mahiru looked over his shoulder down the hallway.  _ I wonder where Kuro’s went… I guess this should be a time to relax. He must be pretty stressed too. Thinking simply, I shouldn’t disturb him.  _ Mahiru sighed and let himself be dragged away. 

* * *

Lily quietly  entered  a vacant room  at the end of the inn .  After closing the door, Lily’s eyes laid upon his brother who laid sprawled out on the floor, on the verge of falling asleep. 

 

“Well now!” Lily yelled, causing Kuro to nearly jump out of his skin, “Shall we begin?” Lily gave him an innocent smile that Kuro knew could only mean trouble. 

Kuro looked up at his brother with a ‘I would rather die’ expression. When Lily offered to teach Kuro how to dance, Kuro felt conflicted about the situation as a whole. His  _ youngest brother _ teaching him how to dance, along with that fact that there would most likely be stripping involved, just made everything completely…  _ weird _ . 

 

Kuro let out an exhausted sigh as he got off the floor and onto his feet.  _ The things I do for the housewife. _ Kuro thought as he made eye contact with Lily, who couldn’t seem to stop smiling.

 

“Ready Big Brother?” Lily asked with a daring smile.

 

“As I’ll ever be…” Kuro mumbled, “Hah. What a pain. This is going to be troublesome…” He let out a lazy groan before giving Lily a nod.

 

“Then let’s begin with the basics!” Lily exclaimed enthusiastically. Kuro raised an eyebrow. 

 

“What’s basic about dancing?” Kuro inquired, as Lily struck a specific pose with an amused smile. Kuro watched with wide eyes as the blonde moved gracefully around the room in a series of well practiced movements. At what appeared to be the end, Lily twirled around Kuro before stopping on the other side of the room, giving a deep bow. 

 

“Uh… What in the world was that?” Kuro asked, completely confused. 

 

“That, my dear brother, was the waltz!” 

 

“The waltz...” Kuro repeated apprehensively.  _ But he was just twirling around the room like a weirdo…  _ Sighing, Kuro rubbed his temple, trying not to overthink it, “What is the waltz exactly? I’ve heard of it, but that’s it.”

 

“The waltz is a traditional dance used for special occasions. It  _ is _ the prince’s sixteenth birthday.” Lily explained, “What I did just now was only the basic part.” 

 

_ That was only the basic part?!  _ Kuro felt a chill run down his spine.  _ Can’t deal... _

 

Lily held out his hand with an excited smile, “Now it’s time for the real lesson to begin.” 

 

Kuro looked down at Lily’s hand, then back up at the blonde. _I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?_ _What a pain…_ Mahiru’s smile suddenly flashed in Kuro’s mind. _That’s right… This is for Mahiru…_ He took a deep breath before slowly grabbing Lily’s hand.

 

“... Now lesson one!” Lily pulled Kuro’s hand, bringing Kuro up close to him,  _ very  _ close. 

 

“Uh...Lily?” 

 

“Yes, brother?” 

 

“Why are we so close together?” Kuro the discomfort at the proximity between him and his brother obvious in his voice. Lily gave him a small chuckle. 

 

“Why,  _ Kuro _ , this  _ is  _ how close you and Mahiru-kun are going to be when you dance.” Lily pointed out as his smile widened. His words took a moment to click before Kuro turned into a blushing mess.  _ I’ll be doing  _ **_this_ ** _ with Mahiru! Being this close to him and- _

 

“Now, back to the lesson!” Lily cut into Kuro’s thought process, “I’m sure you can think about being  _ very  _ close to Mahiru-kun later.” Lily teased, earning a glare from his brother. Lily smirked, knowing the underlying meaning of the waltz as being a very intimate dance. “Now, the waltz is very specific to posture. It is usually done by a man and a woman.” Lily continued. 

 

Kuro let out a groan. “So, who exactly is going to be the  _ woman  _ in this case?” 

 

“I am.” Lily replied enthusiastically. 

 

Kuro’s eye twitched.  _ Could this get anymore awkward? … Probably.  _

 

“I was the one who taught Misono of course.” Lily boasted with pride, “The Alicein family is known for hosting parties that involve dancing. And being a part of the noble family, one’s dancing must be at its best!” 

 

_ The fact this freakishly tall man could teach such a tiny shrimp to dance is beyond me... _

 

Kuro nodded absently, processing everything was already becoming troublesome.

 

“Well, I could be the lead and you be the  _ woman _ while we practice.” Lily suggested.

 

“No. Way.” Kuro gave him a stern, unamused look.

 

“Aww. So mean Big Brother.” Lily pouted, slowly stripping of his shirt.

 

“Lily,” Kuro groaned, “Please keep your clothes on. I’m positive there’s no stripping in the waltz. There are other dances for that I’m sure...” 

 

“But life’s no fun without stripping!” Lily retorted.

 

“Can we please just get this over with?”

 

“Fine. Fine,” Lily gave in, dressing himself properly, “Since you will be the lead, you can place your right arm around my waist while  _ I  _ place my right arm like this.” Lily bent his arm at a ninety degree angle, barely placing his hand on Kuro’s shoulder. 

 

“This is so awkward I could die…” Kuro mumbled.  _ If anybody walks in on us, I’m sure I would die of embarrassment and humiliation… Just kill me now. _

 

“L-Like this?” Kuro placed his hand around Lily’s waist, shakily let out a breath of relief when his brother gave him a nod. 

 

“Now that we’ve got the posture down, let’s begin the steps. The waltz follows a rhythm of one, two, three.” Lily explained, “Basically you would move in a square. Since you are the lead, you will step forward first, let’s begin.” 

 

Kuro listened intently to his brother’s instructions, trying his best to ignore the extremely awkward atmosphere. _ For Mahiru, for Mahiru, for Mahiru... _ Kuro took a deep breath and stepped forward while Lily stepped back. 

 

“One.” Lily spoke abruptly, catching Kuro off guard, “Don’t worry, I’m only counting the steps. Make sure you bend your knees as you move.” Kuro nodded, “Remember to keep your posture, you want to look confident, Big Brother.” 

 

_ Confident… Yeah right… How can I look confident when everything is so troublesome I could die. I just want to go relax in the hot springs with… Mahiru. _

 

Suddenly, Lily stopped moving, earning a confused look from Kuro, “Hmm, I have a better idea.” Lily smiled cheerfully, a smile that made Kuro very uncomfortable. Lily let go of Kuro’s hand and took several steps back. He put his hands together in front of his mouth, mumbling some sort of chant. A giant cloud of pink smoke appeared where Lily stood. Kuro coughed, waving the smoke away. He opened his eyes and felt his heart jump into his throat at what he saw.  _ Mahiru _ . 

 

_ Oh no. No, no, no _ … Kuro quickly backed away to the other side of the room, hitting the wall. He stared at ‘Mahiru’ in Lily’s skimpy clothing, his chest fully exposed.  _ I knew this was going to be troublesome! If someone walks in now, I’ll- _

 

“Big brother, you seem rather tense. Is everything alright.” Lily spoke through Mahiru’s lips. 

 

“Please don’t speak.”

 

“Hmm?”  _ Mahiru _ gave him a seductive smile, “Shall I strip instead?”

 

Kuro’s eyes bulged, he rushed across the room, his hands subconsciously grabbed the collar of Lily’s clothes. He glared into his brother’s crimson eyes. Lily couldn’t mimic everything. There was no way he could mimic Mahiru’s beautiful brown eyes. “Don’t use his body like that… Let’s continue.” Kuro stated quickly in a serious tone, roughly pulling Lily’s shirt together.

 

“Very well,”  _ Mahiru  _ replied with a glint in his red eyes as he met Kuro’s unamused gaze. “Come on Big Brother!”  _ Mahiru  _ grabbed Kuro’s hand, causing a blush to creep onto his face as they resumed practice. Kuro placed his shaky hand on  _ Mahiru’s  _ waist, getting back in posture. 

 

“Alright, ready?”  _ Mahiru _ started dancing, counting their steps and pacing himself so Kuro could easily follow. Kuro kept his eyes on their feet the entire time, not wanting to look at his  _ brother. Ugh… Can’t deal… _

 

“You know Big Brother,”  _ Mahiru _ took his hand off of Kuro’s shoulder and put it under his chin, forcing his head up, “it’s not very polite to not look your partner in the eyes when you’re dancing.” Giving Kuro a knowing smirk.

 

_ Easy for you to say… Damn perverted butterfly… _

 

“And now, dear brother, for the grand finale! The dip!”

 

“The WHA-” Before Kuro could finish,  _ Mahiru _ gracefully leaned back, taking Kuro with him. Kuro focused his strength in his legs, preventing them from falling as  _ Mahiru  _ did a dramatic pose in his arms. The top button on his shirt popped open, revealing his bare chest once again.

 

“Ah yes, just like that Big Brot-”

 

The door suddenly opened, causing the two to freeze in place, “Hey Lily, are you two done practicing ye...t…” A purple haired chibi stood in the doorway, staring at them in disbelief.

 

After what felt like an eternity, several tick marks appeared on the boy’s forehead, “ **_Lily_ ** .” His voice and shoulders shook. Both Kuro and  _ Mahiru  _ swore they saw a black cloud of rage from behind Misono. 

 

Lily quickly shifted back to his usual form, trying to pacify the boy, “Now, calm down Misono, this is all just a big misunderstanding.” Lily forced an innocent smile, but sweatdropped, knowing it likely wasn’t enough. 

 

Without hesitation, Misono darted at Lily, lifting his leg and kicking him square in the ribs, “YOU PERVERTED BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU USE THE PRINCE’S PURE BODY TO DO SOMETHING SO LUDE!”   
  


“Gah! Please! Misono! I can expla-”

 

“LIKE HELL YOU CAN!” Misono screeched, grabbing Lily’s collar, shaking him profusely.

 

Standing not too far away from the bickering duo, Kuro covered his beet red face with both hands, wishing he could disappear into thin air.  _ Please kill me now… _

* * *

“Eh? Kuro? What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Mahiru asked as they all sat around the dining table in their shared living space.

 

Kuro jumped, his face pink as he recalled what happened, “... It’s nothing.” He mumbled under his breath, poking at his ramen.

 

“Hmm? You look rather red. Can mages get sick?” Mahiru shifted in his seat, bringing his hand up to Kuro’s forehead.

 

Kuro’s face went from pink to red at the feel of Mahiru’s soft, delicate hand, “I-I-I-I-”

 

“Actually Mahiru-kun.” Lily chimed in, gaining Mahiru’s attention, giving Kuro a sinking feeling in his stomach, “Big Brother and I were actually GAH!” A steady punch came in from his left, making a good impact in his ribs.

 

Misono quickly cleared his throat and regained his composure, “Kuro and Lily were both looking around the inn.” He said with confidence and a convincing smile.

 

Mahiru stared at them blankly as the wheels in his head turned.  _ I knew it. These guys are up to something. _

 

“Ah that’s right, Mahiru-kun.” Lily spoke up again, rubbing his sore ribs as he looked Mahiru in the eyes, “Has Big Brother taught you how to use your magic properly yet?” Kuro twitched, hoping the topic wouldn’t come up.

 

Mahiru gave Lily a blank stare, completely confused about the question being asked, “My… Magic?”

 

“Yes.” Lily turned around, pointing at the Mahiru’s sword leaning against the wall.

 

Everything clicked in Mahiru’s mind, “AH! That’s right! Kuro did something to my sword when we were facing Tsubaki! It started oozing black matter!” Mahiru snapped his head to face Kuro, expecting some sort of explanation.

 

Kuro quickly poofed into his cat form, rolling around on his chair, “Don’t worry about it Mahiru. Here. Be soothed by my cuteness.”

 

“Haha! Cute, but nice try, but you aren’t getting out of this one!” Mahiru scooped Kuro up in his hands, making the cat look him in the eyes. 

 

“Ugh… Can’t deal. What? Do you want to learn how to use that sword? Why?” Kuro groaned, trying to squirm free.

 

_ Why? Why do I want to use this magic?  _ Mahiru didn’t have to think long before the answer became clear to him.

 

Mahiru took a deep breath, his eyes filled with determination, “I want to become stronger! I want to be able to protect those dear to me!”

 

Kuro looked at Mahiru with wide eyes. His answer didn’t surprise Kuro, in fact, it’s what he expected.  _ You’re too good for me… _

 

Letting out a dramatic sigh, Kuro complied, “Fiiiine… This is going to be so troublesome I could die…”

 

Mahiru gave Kuro a beautiful smile, gently setting him back down on his chair, “Thank you Kuro!” Kuro quickly turned around in his cat form, his back facing Mahiru.  _ Can’t deal… _

 

“Perfect!” Lily clapped his hands together, obviously excited, “Since we have two more days, you two will have plenty of time to practice, but until then, it would be a shame to let this delicious food go to waste. So let us feast!” Lily held up his glass of wine as a toast.

 

“YEAH!”

 

 


	10. Practice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Alright alright, I’m up. Geez, stop nagging housewife.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's work the magic! xD Guess what? I've decided to make a little money doing this BUT it's not necessarily selling my work. I won't do that. It's basically asking for donations on a site called Ko-fi. The site is free and to donate you would need a paypal account I believe. I would LOVE it if you guys gave me some support and bought me a coffee [It's a $3 donation]. I have a goal set to get $70.00 if you want to support me by doing this, by all means, please do! 
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> 
> Just know that I absolutely adore your support and whatever way of support there is, I will always, always, always take it with all the love in my heart. <3 Because I love you guys! 
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> For more information see my tumblr page: yaoitora.tumblr.com. There's a link there if you want to give a donation. I will make sure to post more information on Ko-fi. ^___^
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> Enjoy the chapter!   
> Bye!  
> -YaoiTora

Chapter 10: Practice

 

“Kuro! Wake up! We need to go practice! You promised!” Mahiru nagged, shaking the bluenette laying peacefully next to him. _How did he manage to make it over to my futon anyway?_ Mahiru sighed, shaking Kuro a bit harder.

 

“Ugh… five more minutes, I need to finish my quest to find the perfect pillow!” Kuro muffled into his pillow.

 

“You neet!” Mahiru yelled as Kuro snuggled deeper into the bed.

 

“Kuro, get up now or no ramen for a week!”

 

Kuro groaned, slowly opening one eye, giving Mahiru a sleepy glare, “... You wouldn’t.”

 

“You bet I would! Now move your butt!”

 

Kuro yawned, stretching out before sitting up, “How can you be so cruel to such a cute cat like me?”

 

“Ha-ha, very funny. Come on, get dressed. I want to get started.” Mahiru chuckled, rolling his eyes as he threw Kuro his clothes.

 

“What a pain…” Kuro mumbled under his breath. He grabbed his clothes and stood up. He glanced over at Mahiru, whose back was facing him, as he stripped off his nightshirt. Kuro could feel his face heat up instantly as his eyes remained locked on Mahiru’s body. _He’s so toned… And his skin looks so… Soft…_ It took all of his willpower not to reach out and touch him. Kuro’s mind went blank when something else caught his eye. _Is that a… scar?_ A pale six inch jagged scar rest on Mahiru’s lower back, appearing to be a slash wound of sorts.

 

Speaking without thinking, Kuro opened his mouth, “Mahiru, where did you get that scar?” By the time Kuro realized what he asked, it was too late, it was already out in the open.

 

Mahiru jumped at the question, quickly turning around and placing his right hand on his lower back, looking at Kuro in fear, “Ah, well, umm…” Mahiru’s voice shook, shifted his gaze down, staring at his feet. Sadness overflowed in his eyes as a few tears fell.

 

Kuro’s heart sank as he rushed over to Mahiru, reaching his hand out to caress his cheek. He suddenly froze as a chill ran down his spine.

 

**“See what _you_ did? _You_ made Mahiru cry. Wouldn’t it be better if he had someone _else_? Someone who won’t _hurt_ him? Someone who _deserves_ him? Hehehe!”**

 

He gritted his teeth and shook his head, forcing _him_ back into the darkness from which he came. Kuro looked up at a whimpering Mahiru. Taking a deep breath, he took his shaky hand and gently caressing Mahiru’s cheek, “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. You don’t have to tell me.” Kuro placed his other hand on Mahiru’s other cheek, bringing his face up so they could look into each other’s eyes.

 

Mahiru moved his right hand from his back and placed it over Kuro’s, giving him a weak smile, “It’s okay. I planned on telling you, I just… Wasn’t expecting that…”

 

“You don’t have to force yourself, it’s fine, really.” Kuro reassured him. _I hate seeing you cry… Please smile…_

 

“No… I want to tell you.” Mahiru grabbed both of Kuro’s hands, removing them from his face and guided him to the futon. They both sat on their knees across from each other, a long silence between them. Mahiru took a deep breath before starting.

 

“I got this scar the day… my mother… died.” Mahiru choked out, obviously holding back tears.

 

Kuro’s eyes widened in realization. _That’s right! How could I be so stupid?! Mahiru mentioned something about this before in the garden._

 

Mahiru took another deep breath, his hands shaking, “My mother had a meeting with a king of another kingdom. I was young at the time, and curious about everything, so I asked her if I could come.” Mahiru lowered his gaze, staring at his knees, “She thought it would be a good experience for me, so she let me come. The weather was bad that day… Thunder… Lighting… Blinding rain…” Mahiru hands started shaking violently, he moved them up to his arms, squeezing them with great force.

 

Kuro quickly moved forward, enveloping Mahiru in a gentle hug as the brunette grabbed his nightshirt, sniffling into his chest. Kuro placed his hand on the back of Mahiru’s head, soothingly brushing his fingers through his soft hair while his other hand rubbed his back. “Stop it, it’s okay Mahiru, you don’t have to say anymore. It’s alright, I’m here.” Kuro told him in a gentle whisper, holding him tight.

 

“No… no… I want yo-you to kn-ow.” Mahiru stuttered through his tears, “The- the lightning hi-hit a tree by-by the road. It f-fell, but the road was… to-too wet for the ho-horses to st-stop...” Mahiru sobbed into Kuro’s chest, but forced himself to continue, “The carriage t-tipped and sent us d-down the h-h-hill. She- SHE PRO-” Mahiru started shaking violently, Kuro tightened his embrace, lightly kissing his forehead.

 

“It’s okay, It’s okay Mahiru. That’s enough. I’m here. I’m here.” He gently held the back of Mahiru’s head, playing with the short hairs at the base of his head. Mahiru hiccuped, his breath shaky as he snuggled into Kuro’s chest, feeling safe and secure.

 

They sat there in each other arms for who knows how long. The only sound echoing in the quiet room came from the brunette in Kuro’s arms before becoming completely silent. Kuro looked down to find Mahiru fast asleep in his arms, completely exhausted from crying. He gave him another light kiss on his forehead before lying him back down on his futon, securing the covers around him. Kuro got up and dressed himself before quietly leaving the room.

 

He walked out into the shared living space. Lily, the only other one besides Mahiru insane enough to get up this early, sat at the table enjoying a hot cup of coffee. He turned to face Kuro, surprised to see him up so early. Before he could say anything, he caught sight of Kuro’s grim expression.

 

Lily’s usual cheerful expression changed to one of concern, “What’s wrong?”

 

Kuro looked up to meet his brother’s eyes. _If I can trust any one of my siblings, Lily would be the one_. Kuro let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, “I learned about Mahiru’s… mother…”

 

Lily’s looked at his brother in shock, his eyes quickly filling with sorrow, “Ah… I see.” Lily looked back down into his coffee mug, unsure of what to say.

 

“Lily.”

 

Lily jumped at the seriousness in his brother’s voice. He looked up, meeting his brother’s intense red eyes, “Yes?”

 

“Can I ask you a favor?”

 

Lily raised an eyebrow and nodded. _Interesting, he’s never asked for a favor before._ Kuro slowly made his way to Lily, bending down to whisper in his ear. Lily’s eyes widened at what he heard. His eyes filled with warmth as a gentle smile appeared on his face.

 

“Of course I can do that for you Big Brother.”

 

“Thanks… Lily.” Kuro mumbled. He walked over to the sword leaning against the wall, grabbing it as he exited the room.

 

Lily watched after him, his smile never fading, “Ah, young love…”

* * *

“Do you think it’s okay if we knock?” Koyuki asked, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt nervously.

 

“Of course it is! He summoned us here!” Ryuusei rolled his eyes, forming his hand into a fist, ready to knock on the large fancy doors in front of them. Before he could hit it, the doors swung wide open, revealing their host.

 

“Ah, I thought I heard voices out here!”

 

“Wah! W-we are so sorry for loitering around Your Highness!” Koyuki looked scared half to death as he bowed, placing his hand on the back of Ryuusei’s head, forcing him to bow too.

 

“Haha!” Tooru gave them a kind smile, “Don’t be silly! Friends of Mahiru’s are welcome here anytime! Make yourself at home, but please come in. I have something important to discuss with both of you.” Tooru motioned them in, turning around and heading back to his throne.

 

Koyuki gulped, trembling, unsure if he really could enter the royal throne room.

 

“Come on you big ooph!” The short blonde next to him gave him an impatient look, grabbing his wrist and dragging him into the room.

 

“Wah! Ryuu-chan!”

 

“He said it was fine! Stop being such a pansy!”

 

“I’m not a pansy.” Koyuki puffed out his cheeks in a pout.

 

They both made it at the base of the stairs below the throne where the king sat. Straightening their postures, they bowed before him, keeping their heads down as they spoke.

 

“How can we be of service Your Highness?” Ryuusei spoke in a serious tone.

 

“Hahaha! RYE are you being so formal boys? Relax.” Tooru’s chest shook as he tried to hold in his laughter.

 

 _Oh no… Mahiru warned us about this…_ They relaxed, raising up to meet the king’s eyes, waiting for him to explain the reason of the being here.

 

Tooru smiled, happy to see they weren’t as tense before continuing, “I would like both of you to make Mahiru’s birthday cake!”

 

Koyuki and Ryuusei both gaped at the king with wide eyes, unsure if they had heard correctly. They stared at his smiling, expectant face as he waited for an answer. _He’s serious…_

 

Ryuusei broke the silence, averting his eyes down, “... With all due respect Your Majesty, wouldn’t it be best to give such an important task to an esteemed professional?”

 

Tooru tilted his head, looking at them in confusion, “What’s the BATTER? Don’t you want to make Mahiru’s cake?” He put his hand over his mouth, snickering at his own pun.

 

“Of-of course we do Your Highness.” Koyuki piped in, “We are just lowly villagers. Isn’t it a tradition for these things to be carried out by those appointed by the king?”

 

“Nothing is written in SCONE my boys! Pfft! Hah. And besides, doesn’t me summoning you here already mean that I’ve appointed you to the task?”

 

Koyuki and Ryuusei both jumped, taking in the king’s words one by one as they stared into space. It quickly clicked as the both bowed down.

 

“We are extremely honoured Your Highness!” They said in unison.

 

“No need to keep calling me Your Highness. You’re Mahiru’s friends, so Tooru will do just fine!” Tooru gave them a reassuring smile, trying to calm their nerves. He sat up from his throne and approached them, placing a hand on each of their shoulders, “There is no KNEAD to feel pressured. I know Mahiru will LOAF anything you make!”

 

“Y-yes sir…”

 

“Now I am sorry to cut our visit short, but I am expecting a meeting with someone soon. Please feel free to stay as long as you like, but if you wish to go home, I will have a carriage take you back to the village.”

 

“Thank you very much You-, I mean, T-tooru, but we have a lot of work to do now!” Koyuki gave him a weak smile, still unsure if he should be calling the king by his first name.

 

Tooru gave them a sincere smile and nodded, turning back to his throne as the two made their leave. After the doors closed behind them, Koyuki let out a giant gasp for air.

 

“Haaaah… I’ve never felt so pressured in all my life…” He gasped out, trying to catch his breath.

 

“Yeah… But man am I glad that’s over. I don’t think I could’ve handled anymore puns.” Ryuusei rubbed his temple, trying to fight a headache. He straightened up, excitement filled his eyes as he took a determined stance, “Well, let’s head back! We want to give Mahiru the best cake we can muster!” He declared as he bolted down the hallway.

 

“YEA- Hey, Ryuu-chan! Wait for me!”

* * *

Mahiru jolted awake in a cold sweat, gasping for air. He placed his hand on his chest, trying to regain control of his breathing as he stared out into space. _… What happened? I remember getting dressed when Kuro asked me a question and then…_ Mahiru felt his face heat up, bringing a hand over his mouth. _There’s no way that could’ve been a dream. No dream would be that vivid._ Mahiru quickly looked around.

 

“Eh? Where’s Kuro?” He stared at the neatly made futon beside his and the small cat pillow above it. _Wow, he managed to make his bed. Miracles can happen._

 

Mahiru quickly got out of bed and changed in the clothes he had tried to change into previously. He quietly opened the door, unsure if the others were still asleep. Creeping as quietly as he could down the hallway, he managed to make it to the shared living space. He took a quick glance around, only to find Lily sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee while reading a book.

 

“Um…”

 

Lily’s attention rose from his book to meet Mahiru’s eyes, “Ah, Mahiru-kun, good morning, or should I say good afternoon?” Lily gave him a heartwarming smile.

 

“EH?! It’s already afternoon!” Mahiru shrieked.

 

“Indeed! Misono, Tetsu, and Hugh are already out and about. You’re the last one.”

 

_How did I manage to waste my entire morning sleeping?! Dang it, Kuro is rubbing off on me… Oh yeah!_

 

“Um, Lily?” Mahiru mumbled, nervously averting his gaze to his feet.

 

“Hm? What is it Mahiru-kun?”

 

“Have uh, you seen… Kuro by chance?”

 

A small silence filled the air as Lily hesitated to answer. He decided it best not to let on he knew part of the situation. “Why yes I have! I saw him take your sword and head outside. Where he went after that I’m not sure.”

 

“Thanks Lily!” Mahiru said as he bolted for the door and ran down the hallway, making his way to the back garden.

 

Lily stared at the door with a warm gaze as he heard Mahiru’s footsteps fading into the distance. His soft smile turned into a small frown as he stared into his coffee mug,  “... I wonder if he can save Big Brother.”

 

Mahiru ran as fast as he could down the halls, quickly dodging and apologizing to fellow customers he almost ran into. _I have to get to Kuro!_ Mahiru burst through the back doors, revealing an extravagant garden. A small bridge crossed a stream that ran through the entire yard. Reeds and cattails grew at its edges. A wide variety of flowers grew in flower beds lining different paths throughout the garden. Massive trees cast cool shadows, leaving a cool place to take a nap. Mahiru’s eyes locked onto something beneath one of the trees. He sprint over to the tree, trying to catch his breath as he looked down at the figure before him.

 

A blue haired mage laid sound asleep against the tree’s trunk. His sky blue hair had fallen in his face as his calm sleeping breath pushed it slightly. Mahiru stared at him in awe, conflicted about waking him up. _He’s really… handsome._ Mahiru’s whole face lit up as he slapped his cheeks, trying to regain focus. _No, no, no! Now is not the time!_ Mahiru rubbed his sore cheeks and glanced at the ground beside Kuro. _Ah, my sword!_ Mahiru quietly knelt down and gently shook Kuro’s shoulder.

 

“Hey! Kuro, wake up! We need to train!” Kuro let out a small whiny groan.

 

“Alright alright, I’m up. Geez, stop nagging housewife.”

 

“Quit calling me a housewife you neet!”

 

“Sheesh, I only started yesterday.” Kuro mumbled as he slowly looked over at Mahiru. He stared at him with blank eyes, refusing to let any emotion show. _I wonder if he’s okay. He was so heartbroken earlier…_

 

“Mahiru,” Kuro began before Mahiru could start ranting. His brown eyes blinked in confusion, waiting for Kuro to continue. “Are you… okay? I made you cry this morning asking about-”

 

“I’m fine, Kuro, really… Hah, I guess it wasn’t a dream after all... ” Mahiru blushed, looking at the grass beneath him, “It’s been a long time since I’ve cried like that… When you held me close while I was crying… It really helped, so... Thank you, Kuro!” Mahiru lifted his gaze, meeting Kuro’s with a bright smile.

 

Kuro’s eyes widened in surprise as he stared at Mahiru in awe. _Why? Why would he thank someone like me?_ “But aren’t you mad at me? I made you cry! I hurt you!” Kuro’s voice trembled.

 

“I’m not mad. And you’d never hurt me, Kuro.” Mahiru spoke softly, grabbing his hand, caressing it gently with his thumb, “I just… haven’t talked about it since it happe-” A loud growl from Mahiru stomach quickly cut him off.

 

“Uh… How about we practice after we’ve had some lunch?” Mahiru asked with a small blush highlighting his cheeks as he helped Kuro to his feet.

 

Kuro gave Mahiru a small nod, squeezing his hand. _Training really is going to be a pain, but if it’s you, I can’t say no_. “Alright.” He mumbled.

* * *

”So, uh… How did this happen again?” Mahiru forced a smile as he looked at Lily and Misono standing a fair distance away.

 

“Bastard! We’re supposed to be relaxing, and here you are wanting to train! As your future king’s lecture, I refuse to let you do something so dangerous without supervision! Therefore, Lily and I will be your training opponents!” Misono huffed, crossing his arms while taking a stern stance, “I will only take yes as an answer.”

 

Mahiru sighed and nodded. _There is no use arguing with him once he has made up his mind…_ He looked up to see Misono approaching him. Misono stopped in front of him and leaned his head up to Mahiru’s ear.

 

“Lily told me that Kuro noticed the scar. Are you okay?” Misono whispered, his tone filled with concern. Kuro, standing next to Mahiru, flinched as he overheard Misono’s whisper.

 

Mahiru nodded, giving him a reassuring smile, “I’m okay. He asked and I wanted him to know.”

 

“But Mahiru what if you weren’t-”

 

“It’s okay,” Mahiru told him, placing his hand on Misono’s shoulder, “I’m okay. Let’s do this.”

 

Misono nodded, not very convinced, but decided not to push the issue as he returned to Lily. Misono flipped his hand into the air and snapped his fingers, his expression suddenly turning serious, “Lily, do it.”

 

“Of course Misono.” Lily gave an innocent smile, bringing his hands together in front of his lips and mumbling a chant. He took a deep breath and exhaled a light pink mist that covered the entire area around them, “This barrier will prevent anyone in it from getting hurt. Whatever happens in here doesn’t affect the outside world, therefore the garden will remain unharmed.” A smile spread across his lips, “I’m not much of a fighter, but I will help you train, Mahiru-kun.”

 

Kuro felt his eye twitch at the last comment. _The mage of lust may not be much of a fighter, but..._ Kuro glanced at Lily who met his gaze, giving him a small smile. _He’s definitely trying to help the red string’s influence… What a pain._

 

Lily mumbled something else as pink mist floated in his hand, quickly materializing into a giant black scythe, “Now, shall I show some skin?” Lily giggled.

 

“Don’t you dare you bastard!”

 

Mahiru rolled his eyes and got into a fighting stance, taking his sword out of its sheath. The black matter engulfed the entire blade, oozing with dark power. Mahiru stared at it in amazement as Kuro shifted to stand close behind him. _I can feel Kuro’s strength in this sword…_ Mahiru glanced up at Kuro. _I feel like I can do anything with this power…_

 

“Do you remember what I showed back when we were fighting Tsubaki?” Kuro asked, his breath tickling the skin on the back of Mahiru’s neck, making the brunette blush.

 

“Y-Yes! I remember.” He stuttered out quickly, pushing his embarrassment aside, “Let’s try it again.” Kuro placed his hand over Mahiru’s, gripping it gently as he guided the brunette’s sword up. At its peak, he brought the sword down with a swift swipe, creating the crescent shape of dark matter. The crescent shape rushed towards Lily and Misono, but suddenly stopped, hovering in midair. The black matter stretched out, forming into a black blob.

 

 ** _“Hehehe!”_** Kuro trembled as the blob changed directions and started heading towards Mahiru.

 

“Mahiru!” Misono’s cried out, about to run to his friend’s aid.

 

Lily held his arm out to stop Misono, “Misono, stay here.” His voice was stern and serious. _I can’t let Misono get near that thing, but what is wrong with Big Brother’s magic?_

 

Mahiru froze, his body shaking as he watch be blob of darkness careening towards him. Kuro wrapped his arm around Mahiru’s waist, holding him close against his chest. He quickly raised his hand and mumbled a chant. The black mass stopped barely a few feet away from them, dissipating and returning to the sword from which it came.

 

Mahiru stared up at Kuro, his eyes wide with shock. “Kuro,” He whispered before falling into the mage’s arms, “That was...scary.” He mumbled as he snuggled into Kuro’s warm chest.

 

“I know,” Kuro replied, gripping him in a tight embrace as he ran his fingers through the brunette’s soft hair. _What the hell was that just now? That’s never happened before…_ _What’s going on? Was Mahiru not able to control my powers? But that’s impossible, he did it perfectly when we faced Tsubaki. Maybe Mahiru was feeling something that caused it to…_ A flash of Mahiru’s tear stained face flashed before his eyes as he stared at the boy in his arms.

 

Kuro let out a deep sigh, gently pushing Mahiru away, “That’s enough for today.”

 

“Eh, but-”  
  


“No buts. That was really dangerous just now. I think chibi over there is right, you need to relax.” Kuro mentioned over to Misono, who looked exceedingly pissed at the nickname.

 

Mahiru huffed slightly, but gave in, “Yeah… I guess you’re right, but Kuro, I have a question.”

 

“Hmm?

 

“Well I thought maybe this could give me some pointers on how to improve my magic, but…” Mahiru hesitated, unsure how to word his question, “Kuro, how exactly did you become a mage?”

 

Kuro tensed up, his eyes shadowed as a dark matter formed around him. His cloak seemed alive as it shook and rose up, seemingly ready to attack. Mahiru backed away as he felt a cold chill run down his spine.

 

“K-Kuro? Are you… mad at me? I’m sorry, I-I won’t ask again.” Mahiru raised his shaking hands up, trying to calm the mage.

 

Kuro shook his head, regaining himself before seeing the fear in Mahiru’s eyes. Quickly realizing his mistake, he canceled his magic instantly. His cloak dropped down to its usual place and the darkness around him disappeared without a trace.  

 

“Sorry, Mahiru...” Kuro mumbled as he gazed down at his feet, ashamed.

 

“No no, I’m sorry Kuro, I shouldn’t have asked…” Mahiru looked away, rubbing his arm as the tension grew. He took a deep breath and lifted his gaze, giving Kuro a reassuring smile, “I won’t push you to tell me if you’re not ready.”

 

Kuro blinked several times, eyes wide as he met Mahiru’s eyes, “But-”

 

“It’s okay,” Mahiru smiled, “Let’s just enjoy the hot springs. That is why we are here after all.”

 

Kuro couldn’t agree more. He wanted nothing more than to sit and relax in the hot springs or eat a bowl of Tetsu’s mom’s delicious ramen.

 

Lily clapped his hands, releasing the barrier. Misono ran over to Mahiru, who turned to him in surprise. “Mahiru, are you alright? You’re not hurt anywhere are you?” Misono freaked out, spinning Mahiru around, checking for injuries.

 

“I’m fine, Misono.” Mahiru replied, placing both of his hands on Misono’s shoulders calm him down, “Kuro saved me. We decided to call it a day and go relax.”

 

After glancing Mahiru over several more times, Misono let out a sigh of relief and nodded, “You should have just listened to me in the first place and just relaxed, whatever, let’s go then.” Misono grabbed Mahiru’s wrist and dragged him through the garden to the hot springs with Kuro and Lily trailing behind them.

* * *

Misono rubbed his temple as he stared at the giant amount of paperwork on his desk.

 

“Ugh… Still so much work to do.” Misono cringed as he sat down. Taking his quill pen in hand, he began filling out each and every document to perfection. Hours passed with Misono so completely engrossed in his work that he didn’t hear the door open.

 

“Misono?”

 

Silence.

 

“Hah.” Lily quietly entered and closed the door behind him. Pink smoke diffused around him as he transformed into a butterfly, gracefully flying over and landing on Misono’s nose.

 

“WAH!” Misono jumped back, nearly falling out of his chair, “Hey! Lily! How many times have I told you not to do that?!” He swat at the butterfly, who easily flew out of his reach.

 

Lily flew a short distance away before shifting back and facing Misono, “You know Misono… You told Mahiru to relax, but I think you’re the one that really needs to relax.” Lily gave him a soft smile with concerned eyes. He knew how Misono had the tendency to overwork himself.

 

Misono eyes widened in surprise as he stared at Lily, but his quickly expression changed to a grateful smile, “I know, thanks Lily.”

 

“Shall I strip to make you feel better?”

 

“YOUR STRIPPING IS THE CAUSE OF MOST OF MY STRESS YOU BASTARD!” Misono screeched as he hurled a book at Lily’s face, hitting it dead center.

 

“GAH! Misono, not my face! That is my best selling point!” Lily rubbed his red nose as he pouted.

 

“When is it going to sell out because I’m sick of dealing with it?” Misono sighed, resting his head on the desk.

 

“So cruel to your loyal butler,” Lily faked a sniff as he held a hanky to his eyes. Lily’s eyes suddenly shimmered as a thought struck him, “Well... Since I am such bad company, I think I will go and grab Tetsu. I’m _sure_ he wouldn’t mind spending time with _you_.” Lily gave his a sweet, seductive smile.

 

Misono’s heart jumped into his throat as he fell out of his chair, “W-w-what do you mean by that y-y-you bastard!?” Misono stuttered, failing to keep himself collected.

 

“You two look rather charming together, like two pieces of the same set. It now seems odd seeing both of you separate from one another.” Lily’s smirk widened as he gazed at Misono’s beet red face, “And I know _Tetsu_ finds it that way. He looks so _lonely_ when _you_ aren’t around after all.”

 

Misono stared at Lily with disbelief as he felt his heartbeat pounding against his ribcage, “He-he does?”

 

“Why of course!” Lily exclaimed as he walked over to help Misono off the floor, “How could he not fall for such a cute, ill-tempered, young man?” Lily giggled as he pinched Misono’s cheek.

 

“Dang it Lily! A-Aren’t you supposed to be meeting with his Majesty?!” Misono shooed him away, quickly trying to change the subject.

 

“Ah yes, that’s right!” Lily acted completely surprised, putting his hand over his mouth as if he had forgotten.

 

“Well get going! The Alicein Household’s reputation will suffer if you’re late!” Misono approached him, pushing on his back with all his might to get him out the door.

 

“Yes, yes, I know Misono. Have I ever let you down?”

 

“You’ve only let your clothes down a MILLION times, now MOVE!” Misono kicked Lily straight in the back, sending him flying out the door as Misono slammed it shut behind him.

 

“Hah… Stupid butterfly…” Misono let out a deep sigh. He walked over to his bed and collapsed on it. He stared at the ceiling, trying to fight the will to fall asleep until a thought struck him, “Oh right!”

 

Misono sat up, placing his hand on his chin in realization, “If everything goes as planned, the _performers_ should be arriving tomorrow morning. The elf prince Licht and his sidekick Hyde. Lily suggested them, but I heard they are quite difficult to deal with…” Misono pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing the horrible possible scenarios to the back of his mind, “I hope they don’t cause any trouble...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how was it? Leave a comment, kudos, bookmark if you want to be constantly updated - actually SUBSCRIBE to my stories if you want to be constantly updated on when a chapter is going to be posted. SPEAKING of which, aside of Ko-fi, my co-author and I will be going for a bi-weekly schedule. I will post that on my tumblr as well. A picture of it when I make it. It'll take me a bit to make. Other than that. Leave a comment, kudos, etc. Support me also by buying me a coffee [$3 dollar donation]. I recently discovered Ko-fi after discovering Patreon. Ko-fi is free all the way so I went with that. 
> 
> I will explain more :3
> 
> Thanks for reading! See you next time on Chapter 11 XD  
> -YaoiTora


	11. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Eh?... EHHHHHH?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YaoiTora's Comments: Holy shit! I did it! Well, actually, I mean WE did it. Yukime-chan and I. And while we finally finished we've added a new member to our writing crew which is my BEST FRIEND EVER! x3 I'm excited to mesh all of our ideas into one. This story is going to be AWESOME~~ I mean we already know that but still! xD

Chapter 11: Surprise

“Hmm, everything is coming along nicely.” Tooru stood off to the side of the room, surveying the progress. A large glistening chandelier hung above the center of the room, filling the room with an array of sparkling lights. Servants scurried around, some cleaning every nook and cranny while others busied themselves preparing tables and food.

 

“My king.” Hanae approached Tooru, bowing slightly, “Two young men have come to meet with you, having them wait would be a problem.” She spoke quietly, gesturing to the two young men standing with a large covered tray on a cart.

 

“Ah, thank you Hanae!” Tooru gave her a friendly wave before walking over to the two young men, “Welcome boys, I see the suits I picked out SUIT you perfectly.” Tooru grinned, letting out a small snicker. Koyuki blushed and hid behind Ryuusei who gave him a weird look and elbowed him a little.

 

Ryuusei straightened up, beaming with confidence, “We have brought what you asked your maje- I mean, T-Tooru.” Ryuusei stuttered, both of them bowing their heads.

 

“Haha! Good, you remembered! Now, let’s see the cake! I’ve been looking forward to it!” Tooru smiled excitedly, lightly bouncing on the balls of his feet.

 

“Y-yes sir!” Koyuki flustered, turning to the cart and shakily removed the large metal lid from the tray. On the tray stood a beautiful round five layered cake with thin blue icing. Small white icing daisies surrounded the edges of each layer, giving it a feeling of spring.

 

“It’s perfect! Simple and straight to the point. Mahiru will love it!” Tooru smiled warmly, clapping his hands together in approval. They both let out a sigh of relief, relaxing in their stances.

 

“Would both of you mind taking the cake to the kitchen?” Tooru pointed to several maids by a table, “The maids can show you the way.”

 

“Yes sir!” They said in unison. Tooru watched with a smile as the boys made their way to the kitchen. His eyes wandered to a beautiful flower arrangement at the center of one of the tables. He approached the table, gently bringing his hand up to caress the petals of a lush red rose. A small glint of sadness filled his eyes as he gazed at the flower, “Ah, nee-san’s favorite…”

 

“Is everything to your liking my king?” Tooru perked up and turned around at the mention of his title.

 

“Lily! There you are!” Tooru beamed, trotting over to the tall blonde, “Everything looks beautiful! Your flower arrangements never cease to amaze me! They are by far the best in the kingdom!” Tooru gave Lily a wide grin, patting him on the shoulder.

 

“Your words are too much. I shall strip to show my utmost gratitude.” Lily smiled gleefully, beginning to removed his upper garments.

 

“Lily.” A deep voice called. Everyone turned around, finding Mikado standing behind them with a stern look plastered on his face, “You will do no such thing at this event. Do you understand me?” His eyes narrowed as he stared down the mage.

 

Lily averted his eyes down in submission, “Yes sir...” He managed to squeak out.

 

“Good.” Mikado’s expression relaxed as did his tone, “Return to Misono and tell him everything is going according to plan.”

 

“Understood.” Lily put his hand over his heart and gave a slight bow before leaving the room to perform his task.

 

“Hmm… You don’t have to be so hard on him you know.” Tooru stated, giving Mikado a side glance.

 

“He has been a member of our household for a long time. I refuse to let him tarnish our name with such acts.” He declared in a serious tone, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

 

“You worry too much.” Tooru shrugged, reaching his arms over his head in a nice stretch.

 

Mikado’s eyebrow twitched at his statement, but he remained composed, “Somebody has to worry around here…” He mumbled.

 

“Hmm?”  


“Nothing to be concerned about my king. Now,” Mikado straightened up, regaining his serious tone, “This event is indeed an excellent idea to celebrate the prince’s birthday, however,” His eyes narrowed slightly, gaining Tooru attention, “Isn’t it about time for the prince to fulfill his rightful duties. You know as well as I do that the _darkness_ grows evermore numerous. We will need all the allies we can get, even if we have to arrange a marriage.”

 

Tooru’s expression filled with pity as he lowered his head, staring at the ground, “What you say is true, but forcing such a thing on him-”

 

“I can’t begin to understand how hard this will be for you,” Mikado gave Tooru a sorrowful look, placing his hand on his shoulder, “But this is for the good of your kingdom. Your people need this.”

 

Tooru remained silent. He couldn’t imagine forcing his precious nephew into such an ordeal. Mahiru acted strong, always putting others needs before his, but his heart was so fragile. Tooru feared this might break him.

 

After a long silence, Mikado let out a deep sigh, removing his hand from Tooru’s shoulder, “Just think about it my king. It’s not like it’s happening tomorrow. I’ll contact some lords and run my findings by you. For now,” Mikado pulled out a pair of white gloves, snapping them firmly around his wrists, “Let’s greet the prince with a proper party.”

 

Tooru’s gloominess instantly disappeared as his usual goofy grin returned on his face, “You’re right, simply thinking, worrying about the future won’t get us anywhere. Let’s worry about the now and get this event rea-”

 

“DAMN SHIT RAT!” A young male voice screeched as a doors slammed open, sending a figure flying through them, crashing on the ground with a painful thud. A black haired boy with a white streak and  darted over to the figure, slamming his tall black boot into his face.

 

“GAH, Angel-chan! Wai-” A blonde haired man with brown tips flailed under the boy’s foot that repeatedly smashed his face, trying his best to escape.

 

“Die till you die! Demon! If it wasn’t for you, we would’ve been here hours ago!” The boy gave him an ice cold glare as he rubbed the heel of his boot on the blonde’s face.

 

“But you’re the one who- GAH!” The blonde tried to protest before being kicked in the gut.

“Shut up demon! I will purify you! Why? Because-” The boy stood on the blonde’s stomach, striking a fancy pose with his arms above his head, “I’m an angel.”

 

Tooru and Mikado stared at them speechless, unsure of what to make of it.

 

“Licht-sama! Hyde-sama! Stop that this instant!” Tooru and Mikado turned to see a man in formal clothes with a long blonde ponytail running towards the bickering duo. Upon reaching them, he slumped down to catch his breath. He quickly straightened out, taking a deep breath, “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU’RE DOING?! THIS IS A CASTLE, NOT A BATTLEGROUND!” The man screeched at the top of his lungs, causing Licht to reluctantly step down from Hyde’s stomach, allowing him to stand as he rubbed his tummy with a pout.

 

“The shitty demon started it Kranz.” Licht mumbled with a grumpy face.

 

“I don’t care who started it! Now apologize!” Kranz demanded, storming over to them and grabbing their heads, forcing them into a bow directed at Tooru, “I am terribly sorry for this unorderly conduct! I promise you it won’t happen again.”

 

Tooru blinked wide eyed before shifting into a wide grin, “Haha! So this must be the elf prince Licht-sama and his traveling companion Hyde-sama. I’ve heard a great deal of your spectacular performances! I look forward to seeing them! Feel free to make yourself at home!” Tooru smiled with his arms widespread.

 

“Melon?”

 

“Eh?” Tooru looked surprised, tilting his head at the young elf prince.

 

“Do you have melon?” Licht asked again, his eyes sparkling with hope.

 

Tooru nodded slowly, “Yes, we have plenty of melon in the kitchen.” He pointed him in the right direction. Without hesitation, Licht stormed off to the kitchen at a frightening pace.

 

“WAH, Licht! Hold on! Please forgive him!” Kranz bowed quickly before pursuing the prince.

 

Tooru and Mikado exchanged confused glances before redirecting their gaze to the prince’s blonde companion.

 

“Ah, Angel-chan really loves his melons.” He said with an amused grin, “Now if you’ll excuse me.” Hyde bowed before making his way towards the kitchen, leaving Tooru and Mikado in a rather confused state.

 

As he walked, the ends of his scarf started to twitch spastically, swaying in multiple directions. Hyde stopped in his tracks as a creepy smile spread across his face, “Ah… I smell a _**cat**_.”

* * *

 

“Oh no you don’t, you bastard!” Misono hissed as he snagged the back of Mahiru’s shirt with a fierce grip, dragging him in the opposite direction.

 

“Ugh! But Misono, I need to train!” Mahiru whined as he tried his best to pull free from his friend’s mighty grip. _How can someone so tiny be this strong? It must be his stubborn will…_

 

“No.” Misono stated quickly, blocking out Mahiru’s plea altogether.

 

“Please Misono, I hardly got to do anything yesterday. And besides, I’ve relaxed plenty already.” Mahiru tried to sound as convincing as possible, but was shot down instantly.

 

“You call reading countless books on magic and spells relaxing? Hmph, I don’t think so! I could see the smoke coming from your ears.” Misono stopped dragging him when they reached the entrance of the changing room, but his firm grip on Mahiru’s shirt remained. Misono knew if Mahiru darted off on him, he would never catch up. He let out an exhausted sigh but looked up to Mahiru with a determined smirk, “You haven’t even fully enjoyed the springs yet! We are going to relax and that’s final!”

 

“But-”

 

“No buts! This is our _last day_ at the hot springs! I will only accept yes as an answer!” Misono’s final declaration left no room for argument.

 

Before Mahiru could protest, Misono let go of his shirt and shoved him into the changing room with full force. Mahiru stumbled through the curtain entrance and landed on all fours. Regaining himself, he glanced around to find the changing room completely empty.

 

“I reserved this particular part of the spring for us. Nobody but our group is allowed to come here.” Misono explained as he entered.

 

“Geez, do you have to be so forceful?” Mahiru gave him a pout as he got back on his feet.

 

Completely ignoring him, Misono walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a fresh towel. He threw it over to him with a serious face, “Get changed, but don’t expose yourself too much!” Misono raised his voice near the end as images of Lily stripping in Mahiru’s form flooded his mind.

 

Mahiru tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, “Uh, I’m not Lily, Misono. You don’t have to worry about that…”

 

Misono twitched at that statement, but managed to maintain his composure, “Right right. That is _definitely_ not the case…” He mumbled, trying to reassure himself.

 

Mahiru stared at him for a few seconds but decided to shrug it off. Mahiru changed into a pair of simple orange swimming shorts while Misono wore a pair of expensive purple shorts. They both made their way to the entrance of the spring. A cold breeze hit them as they entered, raising goosebumps on them from head to toe.

 

“  Misono cursed as he rubbed his hands up and down on his arms, trying to warm them up.

 

“I-I don’t k-know, but lets jump in q-quickly.” Mahiru chattered. Misono nodded as they rushed over to the steamy spring, quickly wading  in and soaking up it’s warmth.

 

“Ahhhh, much better…” Misono smiled as he sunk down neck deep with only his head sticking out above the water.

 

“Alright… I’ll admit it. You were right, this is nice.” Mahiru gave a reluctant smile as swam over to the side of the spring, leaning against the warm stone siding.

 

“HAH! I told you-” Misono quickly sprung up to strike a victorious pose as the cold air hit him, sending him plummeting back into the water, “B-b-b-bastard!”  


“Hahah-?” Mahiru gave a light-hearted laugh, but stopped when he noticed something fly past him. Mahiru looked around until he spotted a black and pink butterfly perched on top of Misono’s cowlick.

 

“Uh? What are you staring at bastard?” Misono took notice to Mahiru’s odd gaze and gave him a puzzled glare. Mahiru simply lifted his hand and pointed at his head.

 

“Huh?” Misono looked down into the water, observing his reflection and discovered what Mahiru had been staring at, “Damn it Lily! How many times to I have to tell you not to do that?!” Misono yelled as he swat at the butterfly.

 

Lily let out a small giggle as he flew out of Misono’s reach, “My apologies Misono, but I have a message.” Both Mahiru and Misono perked up, staring at Lily in curiosity. Lily fluttered over to Misono and landed on his ear.

 

“ _All is going well, we shall arrive at dusk_.” Lily whispered as Mahiru stared at them in suspicion. Misono gave a slight nod, waving his hand to dismiss Lily.

 

“Hmm. What was that about?” Mahiru’s eyes narrowed. _Thinking simply, they must be up to something, but what?_ Mahiru racked his brain, trying to think of anything, but nothing came to mind.

 

“I can see the smoke again.” Misono gave him a sly smirk.

 

“Oh hush!”

* * *

 

Lily cheerfully wandered the halls, making his way back to their room. He slid open the door and his eyes widened slightly in confusion as he found Kuro and Tetsu sitting at the table in the center of the living space. They both sat at opposite ends of the table, staring at its surface lost in thought.

 

His confused look quickly changed to a knowing smirk as he realized the situation. He silently walked over to the table and greeted them with an innocent smile, “Why, if it isn’t Big Brother and Tetsu!” Both Kuro and Tetsu jumped, completely unaware that they had company.

 

“L-Lily! When did you get here?” Kuro stuttered, giving his brother a surprised look.

 

“Oh, I just got here! But the more important question is,” Lily’s red eyes flashed for a moment as his lips formed a sweet grin that sent chills down Kuro’s spine, “What are **_you_** doing here?”

 

Kuro’s face heated up like wildfire. He shot his glance down, staring at the table like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

 

“Well, you see…”

 

Lily perked up and turned his head, directing his attention to Tetsu.

 

“Mahiru-aniki and Chi-, I mean, M-Misono-aniki are already in the spring, so, uh, we thought we would let them enjoy it.” Tetsu mumbled, racking his brain for the right words.

 

“Hmm? Aren’t you supposed to be working today Tetsu? And where’s Hugh?” Lily looked around the room, not seeing his other brother anywhere.

 

“Ah, Hugh is in one of the bedrooms taking a nap. He stayed up too late last night. And my parents said I could have today off since it’s the last day everyone would be here. They told me to… enjoy myself…” Tetsu ended in a mumble, staring down at his lap, a light blush highlighting his cheeks.

 

“Well then!” Lily beamed, clapping his hands together in excitement, “Why don’t we all join them? The more the merrier!”

 

“I-I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Kuro spoke up, fidgeting with his hands in his lap.

 

Lily gave him an innocent smile as he bent down, his lips hovering by Kuro’s ear, “What’s wrong Big Brother? Worried about _more_ than a little kiss?” Lily whispered seductively into Kuro’s ear.

 

Kuro froze. His eyes widened in shock as his face turned as red as his eyes. Tetsu tilted his head and looked at him in confusion, but Kuro couldn’t care less. Kuro grabbed his chest, feeling his heart pounding against his ribcage. _How did he know? When did he? How? He saw! He saw!_ Kuro’s mind raced as Lily confirmed his fears.

 

“I saw what happened during the fireworks show,” Lily continued, sending a chill down Kuro’s spine, “~You. Like. Him~” Lily finished with a sweet hum.

 

Kuro shot up from his chair, sending it flying to the floor. Tetsu and Lily jumped back slightly at the sudden movement.

 

“I’ll be going now…” Kuro stated as he swiftly left the room.

 

“Hmm, well that was easy.” Lily mumbled to himself, “Now just one more.” Lily looked over at Tetsu with a convincing smile, “Well, shall we follow him Tetsu?”

 

“S-sure…”

* * *

 

  _No, it’s not like that at all! There is no way that could ever happen! I mean sure, Mahiru is kind to a fault, he’s gentle, always puts others before himself, and… and... No, it will never work. He can’t be with a **monster** like me…_

 

**_Hehehe! That’s right Kuro, you are a monster, you always have been. If Mahiru learns of what you’ve done, he will surely leave you. It’s only fair right? Who would want to be with a monster?_ **

 

“-ther. Big Brother!”

 

Kuro jumped as reality came back to him, “Huh? What?” He looked over to Lily standing beside him with a puzzled expression. “What is it?”

 

“You’ve been standing there staring at your swimming shorts for five minutes. Is everything alright?” Lily gave him a kind and concerned look. He knew Kuro’s thoughts would often get the better of him. He wanted to help, but it was a touchy subject.

 

“Oh, uh. It’s... nothing.” Kuro shifted his gaze away from his brother, staring back at his black shorts with a emotionless expression.

 

“Hmm… I see.” Lily paused, bringing his hand to his chin in thought, “Well, I could always help you strip. I am a pro after all!” Lily suggested with a proud smile.

 

Kuro grabbed his shorts faster than the blink of an eye and quickly changed. Without meeting his brother’s eyes, he sped towards the entrance of the spring where Tetsu stood in his deep blue shorts. Tetsu appeared nervous as he peeked around the corner of the door frame, staring into the spring. Curiosity got the best of Kuro as he peeked around him. Their eyes widened when they saw Mahiru and Misono laughing and talking about something they couldn’t hear over the small spring waterfall. Kuro’s eyes fixed on Mahiru while Tetsu’s fixed on Misono. They both stood there in a daze, unaware that someone stood directly behind them.

 

Lily stood behind them wearing bright pink swimming shorts. He would have preferred wearing nothing at all, but he knew that would never pass with Misono. A mischievous smile spread across his face as he stood directly behind the oblivious lovestruck males.

 

“There will be a lot more skin to see if we go- out!” Lily said as he pushed both of them through the doorway with full force, sending the stumbling into the open.

 

Mahiru and Misono’s conversation came to a halt at the sudden intrusion. They all froze, each party staring wide eyed at the other. Their faces burned up as realization of the situation clicked for everyone at the same time. Kuro and Tetsu turned on their heels, their backs facing Mahiru and Misono as they quickly sunk down, hiding their bodies while leaving their heads above water.

 

“B-b-bastards! What are you doing here?!” Misono blubbered, his face completely beet red.

 

“I-I’m sorry M-Misono-aniki. You see, we uh-” Tetsu managed to stutter out before being cut off.

 

“Now now Misono,” Lily interrupted, facing the group with an innocent smile, “we all came here to enjoy ourselves. Is it so wrong to show some skin together?” His hands trailed down to the waist of his shorts, gracefully starting to slide them down.

 

“DON’T YOU DARE! BASTARD!” Misono shot out of the water. He grabbed a scrub brush that laid on the side of the pool and launched it at Lily’s face. Lily easily dodged it and let out a small giggle, prancing over to Kuro and Tetsu.

 

“Let’s join them, shall we?” Without waiting for an answer, Lily latched onto their arms, dragging them backwards towards the pool.

 

“Wah- Wait a second! Li-?!” Kuro protested, desperately trying to break free of his grasp, but stopped mid-sentence when he no longer felt his feet on the ground.

 

“CANONBALL!” Lily hollered, springing into the air with a frazzled Kuro and Tetsu in arm.

 

“WHAT THE HELL LI- GAH!” The trio landed dead center between Mahiru and Misono, sending a tidal wave that completely submerged them and overflowed onto the banks of the pool.

 

Mahiru surfaced, coughing out water and gasping for air, “Hey, Lily! Was that really necessa-?” Mahiru opened his eyes to give Lily a glare but instead found himself staring into a pair of deep crimson eyes. Kuro’s hands laid on either side of Mahiru’s legs, his defined upper body hovered above the water while his lower still submerged beneath. Their faces stood only several inches apart. They sat there frozen, unable to tear their gaze apart.

 

Kuro stared deeply into Mahiru’s chocolate eyes, unable to look away. He noticed small hints of gold and ambur that seemed to draw him in more. _They are so… beautiful. I always knew that, but… Now more than ever… I want-_

 

“Aww, so cute!” Lily popped up beside them with an excited grin as if he couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

 

Mahiru slid back with extreme velocity, slamming his back against the side of the pool. Kuro jumped back, losing his footing on the slick pool bottom and fell into back-first into the water, completely submerged.

 

“Agh, dang it Lily!” Mahiru cringed, rubbing his back with one hand as he covered his face with the other, trying his best to hide his obvious blush.

 

Kuro’s head slowly popped up from the water, his mouth still beneath forming an array of bubbles as he shot Lily a death glare. Lily didn’t seem phased by the glare in the slightest as he shrugged it off, glancing over to the other duo who seemed to be having a similar exchange.

 

Tetsu stared at Misono, his head sticking out of the water as he sat on the bottom of the pool. His eyes held what looked like pure curiosity, but Misono couldn’t stand the awkward silence. He shifted nervously in his seat, trying his best to focus on anything but the deep blue eyes locked onto him. _Damn it! Just say spit it out if you have something to say!_

 

“So uh…” Misono perked up and glanced over at Tetsu.

 

“Um… Do you, uh, mind if I sit by you?” Tetsu asked, rubbing the back of his neck to ease his nerves.

 

Misono’s eyes widened in disbelief as he felt like his heart jumped into his throat. He shifted his gaze down to the water, seeing how ridiculous his reflection looked. He turned his head away, staring at nothing in particular.

 

“I-I don’t mind…” Misono somehow managed to mumble, a bright blush highlighting his cheekbones.

Not too far off in the woods, a mischievous blonde with a doll propped up on his shoulder wrapped himself around a tree branch. Scooching forward to the tip of the branch, he placed an antique telescope up to his eye, spying on the cozy duo.

 

“Grrr, how dare that dumb tree trunk get so close to my cute little brother!” Mikuni snarled, shaking the tree branch ferociously.

 

“It’s going to break idiot…” Jeje whispered as he leaned against a tree away from Mikuni.

 

“My sweet little brother is about to fall head over heels for that behemoth, and all you care about is a tree?!” Mikuni screeched, glaring down at him.

 

“Brother complex… Gross.” Jeje mumbled to himself, barely audible.

 

“What did you sa-?!”

 

 _Crack_! The base of the branch Mikuni occupied suddenly snapped under his weight, quickly letting gravity take affect.

 

“G-GAAAAAH!” Mikuni let out a blood curdling scream, plummeting to the ground with a loud crash.

 

“Told you…”

“Huh? Did you hear something just now?” Mahiru perked up, looking around.

 

“Eh? Uh, no.” Kuro gave him a confused look as he leaned against the side of the pool, arms propped up on the edge.

 

“I could’ve sworn I heard someone yelp just now.”

 

“Hmm, I wonder if housewives become delusional in hot springs?” Kuro smirked, looking innocently in the opposite direction.

 

“Can it cat!” Mahiru gave him a pout before shrugging it off, sinking shoulder deep into the warm, refreshing water. He

 

  Mahiru sunk a little deeper into the water, closing his eyes in an attempt to calm his beating heart. _Good thing this spring requires you wear swimming shorts… If not then…_ Mahiru’s face heated up even more as various thoughts swirled around in his head. Mahiru quickly dunked his head in and out of the water, trying to regain his composure. He forced himself to change his train of thought.

 

He glanced back over to Kuro and let his mind wander. _I wonder what the role of the red string of fate is? What’s the complete point of it? I know that Kuro is my... soulmate._ Mahiru’s blush returned as he looked away from Kuro, staring down blankly at his blushing mess of a reflection. _There’s was no changing that. Not that I want it to change or anything. I know that the string can be weakened and possibly broken under certain circumstances, what influence does this string have on us otherwise? And… And what if Tsubaki uses it against us?_ The thought sent a chill down Mahiru’s spine. He glanced back up at Kuro, watching his sleepy face. _I-I want to protect him, no matter the cost! I have to become stronger! I don’t want to be a burden to him!_

_Starting tomorrow, I’ll start training seriously, no excuses!_ The memory of the black blob of magic charging at him flashed in his mind, causing his hands to shake. _That black magic, it almost felt as if… there was another presence inside it… But how? Maybe I can ask Kuro-... No, he didn’t seem like he wanted to talk about it back then… I don’t want to force him, so I will wait for him to open up to me._

 

Mahiru slowly resurfaced shoulder deep. He looked over at Tetsu and Misono, seeing they too were having their fair share of awkward moments. Mahiru made a weak smile as his head started to spin. He tried to keep his eyes open, but his eyelids felt ridiculously heavy.

 

“Ugh…”

 

Kuro’s eyes shot open and quickly turned his head to look at Mahiru, his expression instantly shifted to one of concern, “Are you alright? What’s wrong?”

 

“Huh? Oh, nothing serious, I’m just getting a bit dizzy is all…”

 

Kuro quickly rose and stood next to Mahiru who looked up at him tired and bewildered. Kuro lowered himself, sliding one arm under Mahiru’s knees while placing the other around his upper back. Kuro pressed him against his chest and slowly lifted him out of the water.

 

“Hold on! Wait! Kuro! This-This isn’t necessary! I can walk just fine!” Mahiru rambled, using both hands to hide his face.

 

“Sorry, no can do.” Kuro stated in his usual boring tone as he gently caressed Mahiru’s back with his thumb. _Ah, his skin is so soft…_ Kuro looked down at Mahiru as he attempted to cover his beet red face, a small smile appeared on his lips. _Adorable._ He carefully made his way across the pool and walked up the wet steps with Mahiru in his arms.

 

Misono noticed to two making their leave in such a _special_ way, which peaked his curiosity, “Hey, where are you two going?”

 

Kuro stopped and slightly turned his head, “The princess is a little dizzy, so we’re done for the day.”

 

“HEY! Uncalled for Kuro!” A tick mark appeared on Mahiru’s forehead as he gave Kuro a frustrated glare. Kuro looked at him for a second, but only responded with a small smirk.

 

“Ah, now that you mention it, we all should start to get ready.” Misono said as he stood up and joined the duo, closely followed by Tetsu and Lily, “We don’t want to be late after all.”

 

_Late? Late for what?_

* * *

 

“There!” Misono placed his hands on his hips with a satisfied smile as he looked Mahiru over, “Now we are ready to head back!”

 

Mahiru gave Misono a confused look. He looked down at his outfit, turning slightly to get a better view. _Why in the world is this so formal? We’re just heading back to the castle._ “Uh, Misono, why are we dressed lik-”

 

“Don’t ask questions, bastard! The prince has been gone for three whole days, we must return in style!” Misono replied with a proud smile, “Now come on, come on! We can’t keep them waiting!”

 

“Them? Who’s them?” Ignoring Mahiru’s question, Misono quickly snagged Mahiru’s wrist and dragged him out of the room, heading towards inn’s front doors.

 

Misono pushed open the door, revealing the carriage fully loaded and ready to go. Mahiru’s eyes widened at the sight of the people standing in front of the carriage. Tetsu and Lily stood by either sides of the carriage door  , but the one that stood out the most stood between them. Mahiru felt his heart skip a beat as his eyes rested on Kuro. Their eyes locked as they stared at each other in awe.

 

“Ah-hem!” Misono cleared his throat, bringing the two back to reality. Mahiru lowered his head, staring at his feet with hot cheeks, he glanced up slightly when a white gloved hand came into his line of sight.

 

“Shall we go, my prince?” Kuro bowed slightly, his hand extended out to Mahiru.

 

Mahiru blushed slightly and nodded, slowly placing his hand in Kuro’s. Kuro gently grabbed Mahiru’s hand and guided him into the carriage. As Misono approached the carriage, Tetsu offered his hand out to him, earning a small giggle from Lily. Misono shot him a cold glare but took Tetsu’s hand in his, making his way inside the carriage.

 

Mahiru sat next to Kuro inside the carriage, gazing out the window as the carriage started to move. _What in the world is going on?_ _Why isn’t anyone telling me anything?_ He glanced over at Kuro to find him staring at him. They both quickly averted their eyes, staring out the opposite windows. _I’ll ask Kuro when we get back, maybe he knows something._

 

Lost in thought about the whole situation, Mahiru was surprised when the carriage pulled up to the front of the castle. Servants appeared around the carriage, unloading their things and taking them to their respective rooms. They all exited the carriage single file, but before Mahiru could follow the servants inside, he fell a hand wrap around his wrist.

 

“Eh? Kuro?”

 

Kuro silently shook his head, “This way Mahiru.” Kuro slid his hand down and intertwined their fingers, leading him in a different direction, followed by Lily, Tetsu, and Misono.

 

After walking for a short while, Mahiru checked his surroundings. _Eh? The garden? Why are we going inside through the garden?_ Overwhelmed with curiosity, Mahiru picked up the pace, walking beside Kuro.

 

“Kuro?” He whispered. Kuro looked down, red eyes meet brown as Mahiru drew his attention,  “Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

 

Kuro blushed, scratching his cheek, as he reluctantly looked away, remembering the whole plan. Lily teaching him to dance and how it was the most embarrassing thing he’d ever done, the formality lessons, everything.

 

“Uh, not a clue…” Kuro stated in a very unconvincing tone, staring off across the garden.

 

“Oh come on Kuro,” Mahiru gave him a small pout, “Please tell me-” Mahiru cut himself off as he perked up and looked around. _Huh? Music? That sounds like… A piano?_ The music grew louder the closer they got to the garden’s main doors, but suddenly stopped.

 

“Licht-sama! I told you to wait!” An unknown male voice yelled from the opposite side of the door.

 

“I am the angel of music! I play when I want!” Yelled an unknown voice of what sounded like a young man.

 

 _Huh? What is going on in there?_ Mahiru reached his hand out to push the door open, but the handle quickly moved away from him as the doors flew open, casting out a blinding light. Mahiru squinted as his eyes adjusted to the lighting. He slowly opened them and felt his heart skip a beat. He found himself staring at a large mass of beautifully dressed people scattered throughout an incredibly decorated ballroom.

 

“SURPRISE!” They all shouted in unison.

 

“Huh? Wait! What?” Mahiru took a few steps back, completely shocked and unsure on what was happening.

 

“WELCOME TO YOUR BIRTHDAY BALL, MAHIRU-SAMA!” Everyone in the room cheered at once, sharing toasts while laughing and singing.

 

“Eh?... EHHHHHH?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YaoiTora's Comments: Honestly, you guys don't know how relieved I am to finally get this chapter uploaded... I'm soooo happy. I'm tired too but I'm happy.


	12. Chapter 12: To Be or Not to Be - Angel or Demon?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I know what you are and I know what you did. Stay away from Mahiru!”

If there was ever a time where Mahiru was surprised, this was it. He stood there completely frozen, trying to take everything in. His eyes darted around the beautifully lit ballroom meshed with all sorts of decorations. The chandeliers twinkled overhead, casting amazing rays of light throughout the room. People from all over the kingdom wore extravagant attire, toasting in his honor.

 

 _This room hadn’t been used in years!_ Mahiru thought, completely overwhelmed by happiness. He slowly turned to face Misono, “You… did this all?”

 

Misono jumped, his face heating up from embarrassment as he looked away, “I-I had some help.” Misono choked out.

 

Mahiru couldn’t stop smiling and embraced Misono in a giant bear hug, “You’re the best, Misono!”

 

Misono blinked several times in surprise before awkwardly patting his best friend’s back. “You’re my prince. I’m going to serve you as an official King’s lecture one day… so-so it’s only right that I did this for you.”

 

“Still,” Mahiru tightened his hug slightly. “Thank you so much Misono!” Mahiru released Misono from his hug, giving him the biggest smile he could muster.

 

“Do-don’t mention it.” Misono mumbled with a slight blush highlighting his cheeks.

 

“Mahiru!”

 

Mahiru perked up and spun around at the familiar voice, his face lit up. “Uncle Tooru!” Mahiru beamed as he ran over and hugged him, “Thank you Uncle! You didn’t need to do all this for me, but I’m happy you did!” Mahiru said, smiling ear to ear. Tooru smiled down at him gently, ruffling his hair.

 

“Well, I am the King and your PUNcle after all!” Tooru stood proudly with a goofy smirk on his face.

 

“Ugh… Uncle, please, not on my birthday.” Mahiru cringed, but managed to force a smile.

 

“Tooru-sama.”

 

Both Mahiru and Tooru turned to see Mikado walking towards them with his usual solemn expression. Upon reaching them, he gave Mahiru a deep bow.

 

“Happy Birthday Mahiru-sama. I hope everything is to your liking.”

 

Mahiru gave a small bow in return, “Yes! I like it very much! Everything is nice and simple!” Mahiru smiled, earning a nod from Mikado.

 

“Come to join the fun, Mikado?” Tooru swung his arm around his shoulder, trying to lighten his mood.

 

“... There are some nobles here that would like to discuss the _business_ we discussed earlier.” Mikado’s tone suddenly got serious, and Tooru’s expression went from playful to slightly concerned.

 

“Hm? Is something wrong Uncle?” Mahiru tilted his head in curiosity.

 

“Nothing my dearest nephew needs to be concerned about!” Tooru quickly lit up, but his smile seemed forced, “I have things to attend to, so go have fun with your friends and enjoy yourself!” Tooru waved as he followed Mikado into the crowd.

 

Mahiru watched him leave until he was out of sight. His gaze trailed off, scanning over the room in awe. He was shocked. This was all for him. All for his sixteenth birthday? Geez! _How could I forget my own birthday?_

 

“Mahiru-sama!” A voice cried out as Mahiru turned to see his friend Koyuki who tightly wrapped his arms around the boy, “Mahiru-sama, how was your trip to the hot springs? Was it good?”

 

Mahiru chuckled, “Yes, it was very relaxing. Thank you Koyuki!” Mahiru gave him a big smile then quickly noticed Koyuki’s outfit. “When did you get that outfit? It really suits you!” Koyuki blushed as he looked down at his clothes. It was a much fancier baker’s outfit than the one he normally wore.

 

“T-Tooru-sama-”

 

“You’re crazy uncle had us wear them.” Ryuusei appeared next to Koyuki who jumped, squeaking like a mouse. “Chill out, Koyuki, I was here the whole time. So…” Ryuusei paused before moving aside and gesturing to the table at the center of the dining area, “What do you think of your cake?”

 

Mahiru looked past the two to see a beautiful layered white cake trimmed with simple orange icing daisies. In orange icing around multiple layers it read _Happy 16th Birthday Mahiru!_ Mahiru stared at it in amazement as his heart skipped a beat, “You both made this… for me?”

 

Koyuki gave him a nervous smile while Ryuusei rubbed the back of his neck with a slight blush, “Do you like it?”

 

“Like it? I love it!” Mahiru exclaimed with pure joy, wrapping his arms around them both in a tight hug that was gratefully returned.

 

 “Oh yeah, by the way, Sakuya’s here.” Ryuusei mentioned, catching Mahiru’s attention. Kuro’s eye twitched at the mention of his name, his face forming an extremely unamused expression.

 

“Sakuya? He’s here? Where?”

 

“Talking to some other nobles apparently,” Ryuusei shrugged, “We’ve been keeping an eye on the cake since everyone wants a piece, so we didn’t get a chance to talk to him.”

 

Mahiru quickly looked around, attempting to spot a patch of neon green hair. After looking around for several minutes, greeting guests along the way, Mahiru frowned and let out a small sigh. He hadn’t seen Sakuya since he suddenly disappeared at the festival. Mahiru had been worried about him since Tsubaki had reigned down such havoc back then, but he was relieved to know he was safe and sound.

 

Mahiru’s eyes still wondered but stopped when they reached the stage at the back of the room. People crowded around the base of the stage, dancing to the elegant piano music played by a young dark haired teen with pointy ears. _Who’s that? An elf?_

 

A smile grew on Mahiru’s face when he noticed a small black and white hedgehog dancing on top of the grand piano. Mahiru glanced over at Kuro who hadn’t left his side the entire time. He looked… nervous? Mahiru had a gut feeling that it wasn’t the large group of people nor all the attention. He followed Kuro’s gaze as he stared at the hedgehog with a pained look.

 

“Do you know that hedgehog?”

 

Kuro jumped, quickly averting his gaze from the hedgehog to meet Mahiru’s round brown eyes. He glanced nervously back at the hedgehog before quickly looking away, “This is so troublesome I could die.” He mumbled, letting out a small groan.

 

Mahiru raised an eyebrow. “So you know him?”

 

“... Yes.” Kuro reluctantly answered with a small nod.

 

Mahiru stared at him for a couple of moments before the pieces of the puzzle fit together in his head. _Wait! He couldn’t be-!_ Mahiru’s eyes darted back up to the stage, “That hedgehog is-”

 

“Lawless, the Servamp Mage of Greed.” Mahiru jumped slightly at the seriousness in Kuro’s voice, slowly looking back up at him. Kuro stared off into the distance, clearly restless and uncomfortable. Mahiru gave him a concerned look as he slipped his hand into Kuro’s. Kuro twitched slightly at the sudden touch but gently wrapped his hand around Mahiru’s, gazing down to look him in the eye.

 

“Kuro, what’s wro-”

 

“Damn you shitty Hyde!” A furious voice echoed through the room, silencing everyone.

 

Both Kuro and Mahiru jumped, their attention directed to the stage. The young elf on stage stood in a kicking position while a small prickly hedgehog came careening in Mahiru’s direction. Mahiru closed his eyes in reflex, waiting for the impact that never came. He slowly opened his eyes to see Kuro standing in front of him with the hedgehog in hand.

 

“Aw, Big Brother caught me! How sweet!” The hedgehog squealed as he bounced out of Kuro’s grip, turning into a puff of smoke.

 

Mahiru coughed, waving the smoke out of his face. The smoke slowly dissipated, revealing a young man with blonde hair and brown tips standing before him in a confident pose.

 

“Greetings your majesty,” the young man bowed with a daring smile, “I am Lawless, Servamp Mage of Greed, although I’m sure Big Brother already told you that.” Lawless shot Kuro a sinister glare, overflowing the area with tension.

 

“Well, Big Brother,” Lawless spat out, his voice held extreme hostility, “What brings you to such a fine event? I thought you’d be hiding out in some dark, damp cave. You know, some place that actually suits.” The tension grew murderous around them as the brothers glared daggers at one another.

 

“Um, Lawless?” Lawless didn’t budge, but his cold eyes landed on Mahiru, causing him to jump, “Uh, y-you said your name was Lawless, but I thought I heard that boy call you Hyde?” Mahiru asked nervously, trying his best to direct Lawless’ attention away from Kuro and ease the tension a bit.

 

“Ah yes, due to my current occupation, I was given the name Hyde by my wonderful Angel-chan up there!” Hyde flung his arms up dramatically in the arm, pointing towards the young elf playing the piano on the stage, only to receive a killer glare in return.

 

“So,” Hyde turned back to face Mahiru, “I hope you’re enjoying your birthday party.” The man took Mahiru’s hand in his, giving the back of it a tender peck. Kuro tensed up. He bit his lip to prevent himself from saying anything that could cause a scene and upset Mahiru. His shaky hands closed into tight fists, his nails digging into his palms. He didn’t want to be here anymore. He didn’t want his brother anywhere near Mahiru, let alone touching him.

 

Mahiru forced a smile, his lips twitching. He smoothly but eagerly took his hand away and nodded, “Yes, I am enjoying it! Thank you very-”

 

“You damn hedgehog! Stop dancing on my piano! It’s distracting!” They all jumped and turned to see the young elf rapidly approaching them with an angry scowl on his face. During their interaction, none of them noticed the piano music had switched to that of a soft violin.

 

“O’, speak again bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night, being o’er my head! As a winged messenger of heaven.” Hyde declared in a loud voice, spinning around the elf in dramatic, clingy poses.

 

“Shut up! Die till you die!” The young elf screamed, attacking Hyde with agile deadly kicks, which he somehow managed to skillfully dodge.

 

“Now now Licht-tan, you shouldn’t be so violent! Be kind!” Hyde jumped a fair distance away from the boy, giving him a mischievous smile.

 

“Demons don’t deserve my kindness! Why?” the young man lifted his arms above his head, creating an elegant pose. Kuro and Mahiru swore they saw sparkles hovering around the boy. “Because I’m an angel!”

 

Kuro and Mahiru starred at the two completely speechless, unsure of how to process such an odd duo. They watched as the two bickered like an old married couple; the elf continued to kick at the mage that playfully dodged each attempt. The other guests were sure to keep their distance, aware of the destructive rumors surrounding the two.

 

Mahiru shook his head, regaining his focus, “Um, Licht-tan was it?”

 

“Ah yes.” Licht directed his attention from kicking Hyde’s face over to Mahiru, “I am Licht Jekylland Todoroki, prince of the elvish kingdom to the north, but I’m actually” “an angel!”

 

“I-I see…” Mahiru sweat-dropped, trying to remain as professional as possible in the strange situation.

 

“So what are you?” Licht rapidly approached him, not caring much for personal space as he stared at Mahiru with discerning eyes, “Are you an angel or a demon?”

 

“Um, excuse me?” Mahiru gave him a confused look, backing away slightly to ease the discomfort.

 

“Hmmmm…” Licht brought his hand to his chin, leaning down to stare into Mahiru’s eyes, their faces inches apart. Kuro’s brows furrowed at the sight and Hyde unknowingly gave Mahiru a dirty look.

 

“Um, don’t you think you’re a bit too clo-“

 

“You are definitely an angel-in-training.” Licht concluded, backing up slightly to give Mahiru some space, “And as a true angel, it is my duty to train you until you finally earn your wings!” Licht quickly took on his angel pose, sparkles hovering around him.

 

“Er… Okay, thanks… I think.” Mahiru let out a tired sigh of relief, glad the strange interrogation was over.

 

“Isn’t my Angel-chan just amazing Mahiru-sama!?” Hyde asked excitedly, placing his hands on Licht’s hips while his lingered above his shoulder, gently breathing down Licht’s neck.

 

“Don’t touch me with your filthy hands, demon!” Licht once again tried to kick Hyde, only to have his foot meet air as the mage hopped out of reach, snickering beneath his breath.

 

 _Hm? His cheeks, they look a little… pink._ Mahiru observed as he watched the two resume fighting.

 

“You must be pretty amazing too, Mahiru-sama.” Hyde said while swiftly dodging one of Licht’s kicks.

 

“Eh? How so?”

 

“Dealing with ** _Big Brother_** ,” Hyde’s voice instantly turned cold, glaring daggers at Kuro, “is a hard feat in and of itself, let alone tolerable. But then again,” A wide, menacing smile grew on Hyde’s face, sending a chill down Mahiru’s spine, “ I’m sure there are **_a lot_** of things you don’t know about him.”

 

“That’s enough!” Kuro yelled, unable to stay quiet any longer. The group jumped and stared at Kuro in surprise while other guests directed their attention to them, muttering amongst themselves.

 

“We’re leaving.”

 

“Huh? Kur-” Kuro didn’t let Mahiru finish before snagging his wrist and dragging him into the crowd. Kuro could feel Hyde’s sinister glare at the back of his head as they disappeared into the crowd.

 

“Hey Kuro! Hold on, wait! **Kuro**!” Mahiru stopped in his footsteps, bringing Kuro to a halt. They stood there in silence, Kuro’s hand still wrapped around Mahiru’s wrist. Mahiru wanted to see his face, to look him in the eye, but Kuro kept his back to Mahiru.

 

“Kuro.” Mahiru said softly, gently placing his hand on top of Kuro’s that surrounded his wrist. Kuro winced, but quickly relaxed, taking in the warmth and comfort Mahiru’s hand provided. He slowly loosened his grip, sliding his hand off Mahiru’s wrist and into his hand, entangling their fingers.

 

“Um.” Mahiru started. He knew he needed to choose his words carefully or it could backfire, “What was that back there? You never raise your voice like that. Thinking simply, something must be wrong.”

 

Kuro twitched slightly at the question, releasing Mahiru’s hand, letting his arm drop to his side, “... It’s nothing.”

 

“But-”

 

 **“It’s nothing.”** Kuro swiftly turned around, his eyes burning with so many dark emotions as he stared deep into Mahiru’s soft brown eyes. Mahiru’s eyes widened as he felt his heartbeat increase. He took several steps back, unsure of how to deal with _this_ Kuro. For the first time since they met, he thought Kuro looked scary. Kuro saw the fear in Mahiru’s eyes and instantly felt a pang of guilt shoot through him. He quickly turning his head away.

 

“... I-I’m going to get you some cake…” Kuro mumbled out, turning on his heel to leave.

 

Mahiru gathered his senses in an instant, reaching out to try and stop him, but Kuro had already disappeared into the crowd.

 

“Kuro…”

* * *

Kuro pushed his way through the noisy swarm of people, trying his best to avoid drawing attention to himself. _DAMN IT! WHY? Why did I have to scare Mahiru?!_ Kuro grit his teeth, regretting everything about what just happened. _He’s only ever shown me kindness, and what do I do? I scare him and ruin everything, and on his birthday no less! Damn it! Can I ever do anything right?! ...Why did **he** have to show up? Now everything has gotten so troublesome I could die… I need to keep Mahiru away from him at all costs. He’s always had a big mouth. He’d definitely let **that** slip..._

 

“Can’t deal…” Kuro mumbled, letting out a shaky sigh as he neared the cake table. Before reaching it, someone bumped into his back hard, nearly causing him to lose his balance.

 

“Hey, watch i-”

 

“I know what you are and I know what you did. Stay away from Mahiru!”

 

Kuro’s blood ran cold as a sharp chill ran down his spine. He felt as if his heart had stopped in his chest. He whipped his head around, seeing a patch of neon green hair pass him by.

 

 _Sakuya… But how?! He’s a human! How could he possibly know anything about me?!_  Kuro’s heartbeat returned with rapid speed. His mind in utter chaos as he thought of all the worst case scenarios of his secret being revealed to Mahiru. _What do I do? If Mahiru finds out, it’s all over, everything is over! But! But I-I don’t want it to be over! I don’t want to leave his side, the only person to ever look at me with a genuine smile! That beautiful, kind smile! I **can’t** lose him!_

 

**_“Hehehe! Silly cat!”_ **

 

Kuro jumped, his hands trembling, trying to will the voice within him down.

 

**_“Now now, that’s not very nice! I haven’t gotten to talk with you much lately, especially since you’ve been so…_ ** **_Happy_ ** **_!”_ **

 

Kuro clenched his throbbing head, “Shut up!” He hissed beneath his breath.

 

**_“You don’t deserve happiness. You don’t deserve Mahiru. So why are you still here silly cat? You will only bring calamity to those around you! Just like you did back then!”_ **

 

“-sh-sama. Ash-sama!” Kuro winced, a familiar voice bringing him back to the world of reality. He looked down, coming face to face with a concerned Koyuki.

 

“Are you okay Ash-sama? Does your head hurt?” Koyuki asked with a sense of urgency.

 

“I-I’m fine…Just fine… I just wanted to get Mahiru a piece of cake” Kuro mumbled softly, exhausted from his ordeal.

 

Koyuki didn’t seem fully convinced but slowly nodded, handing Kuro a plate with a large slice of cake on it. Kuro nodded a thank you before turning around and making his way through the crowd, Koyuki’s concerned eyes following him until he was out of sight.

* * *

Mahiru sighed, staring off in the direction where Kuro had disappeared. It felt lonely without Kuro by his side. He didn’t know what to do for him. He wanted to go look for him, but where should he start, and... Did Kuro even want to be found? Why was he so on edge with Hyde? Did something happen between them? Would Kuro tell him if he tried to ask again? _Maybe... he doesn’t trust me…_ Mahiru shook his head, trying to clear his mind of all the negative thoughts. _I’m just overreacting. Kuro said he was going to get some cake, so simply thinking, that must be the case!_

 

Mahiru slapped his cheeks lightly, regaining his focus. _Alright! Now is not the time to be sad! Everyone worked really hard on this party for me, so I should simply enjoy it to the fullest!_ The thought of everyone trying their best to pull this off and keep it a secret from him made him happier than he had been in a long time.

 

“Hey! Ma-hi-ru!” A voice purred in Mahiru’s ear as arms wrapped around his waist, scaring him half to death. Mahiru quickly pulled himself free and spun around to face the culprit.

 

“Eh! Sakuya! Why did you do that! You shouldn’t scare people like that!” Mahiru’s lecture went in one ear and out the other as Sakuya waved him off.

 

“Yeah yeah, Mamahiru, I get it.” Sakuya smirked, earning a pout from Mahiru for being called a mom.

 

“Anyway, I wanted to, uh, tell you something...” Sakuya’s voice suddenly sounded a little serious, gaining Mahiru’s attention, “So I was hanging out with this fairy right? She kept on bossing me around and was sooooo anno- ouch!” Sakuya couldn’t finish his story before Mahiru gave him a hard smack on the head.

 

“You and your lies Sakuya!” Mahiru gave him a joking glare before the both broke out into laughter.

 

“Haha, but really, I actually do want to ask you something.” Sakuya’s serious tone returned as he bowed slightly as he offered his hand out to Mahiru, “May I have a dance, my prince?”

 

Mahiru blushed slightly at Sakuya’s formality, giving his best friend a warm smile that made Sakuya’s heart skip a beat, “Of course I’ll dance with you Sakuya!” Mahiru said as he reached his hand out to take Sakuya’s.

 

Something suddenly blurred between them as Sakuya felt something rest on his extended hand.

 

Cake.

 

A plate with a large slab of cake suddenly appeared in his hand. Both Sakuya and Mahiru stared at it dumbfounded.

 

“You looked like you were hungry, so I thought I’d get you a piece.”

 

Mahiru spun around at the familiar voice, “Kuro!”

 

Mahiru quickly trotted over to Kuro, leaving a confused Sakuya where he stood. Mahiru stood in front of Kuro with his hands on his hips, bringing them up to grab Kuro’s collar and yank him down, bringing his lips to Kuro’s ear. Kuro felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest, while Sakuya nearly dropped his plate of cake at the sight of it.

 

 “Kuro, you shouldn’t use magic here! What if someone sees you?!” Mahiru whispered frantically.

 

“Ugh, angry housewife, can’t deal.” Kuro replied in his usual lazy tone, looking of into the distance, trying to hide his blush and calm his racing heart.

 

Mahiru wanted to retort, but decided to let it slide. He looked back up at Kuro with a relieved expression. _Well, at least he’s back to normal._

 

“Mahiru.”

 

“Hm?” Mahiru shook himself out of his daze and focused on Kuro.

 

Kuro stood confident and strong as he bowed down at the waist, one hand over his heart while the other extended out to Mahiru. Their eyes met and Mahiru felt his heart skip a beat as he was unable to look away. “Can I have this dance, Mahiru?”

 

The brunette blushed slightly, but smiled and gave him a nod, slipping his hand into Kuro’s.

 

“B-but Mahiru!” Sakuya interrupted, trying to get Mahiru’s attention.

 

“Oh right, sorry Sakuya!” Mahiru remembered he had already told Sakuya he would dance with him. “Um,” Mahiru brought his hand to his chin, pondering his options, “I’ll come find you after I dance with Kuro, okay?” Mahiru suggested, giving Sakuya an apologetic smile.

 

Sakuya felt a pang shoot through his chest, but he managed to hide it well under a fake smile, “Sure thing, you two go have fun!” Sakuya waved them off.

 

“Thank you Sakuya!” Mahiru gave him a warm smile before turning to Kuro. Kuro nodded and led them in the center of the ballroom floor, feeling daggers being stared into his back the entire way.

 

Upon reaching the center of the floor, the audience there applauded the couple, giving them space to dance. Kuro took a deep breath, trying to ignore all the attention they were receiving. _This is for Mahiru. You’ll be fine. Just do it like you did during practice and everything will be fine._

 

“You’ll be fine.” Mahiru reassured him, giving his hand a small squeeze. Kuro looked down into Mahiru soft brown orbs, instantly feeling relaxed at the sight of gentleness within them. He gave Mahiru a small grateful smile and nodded. They took their places, waiting for the soft flow of the music to begin. Once it started, they both took a step forward and bowed.

 

They gracefully circled one other, their gaze locked tight. Their palms touched softly as Kuro slowly placed his hand on Mahiru’s back, drawing him closer. Mahiru gently set his hand on Kuro’s shoulder, bringing their other hands together to lock in a tender hold.

Together, Kuro and Mahiru danced, their feet gliding across the floor in perfect sync with the rhythm of the music. As the song progressed, Kuro began to relax, unconsciously allowing a smile to form on his lips. The eyes of the audience faded away as they too danced to the soft flow of the music. Kuro didn’t even notice them, all he could see was the precious brunette in his arms.

Kuro turned elegantly, his body in tune with the slow music. Mahiru noticed a soft shyness to him, as if he was trying his best to appear confident and impress Mahiru.

The brunette chuckled, leaning in to whisper, “Relax, you’re doing fine.”

Kuro’s eyes widened slightly at the comment, a small blush decorated his cheeks. _Was I that obvious?_ Kuro smiled softly, staring into Mahiru’s chocolate eyes. A warm feeling crept up in his chest, a feeling he didn’t understand. The more he stared at Mahiru, the warmer it felt. _What… is this?_ The warmth between them grew more powerful with each passing second. His heartbeat steadily increased along with it. Their dance was perfect; everything, from their breathing to how their bodies synced with one another. It almost took Kuro’s breathe away.

Mahiru felt like they were in a dream, dancing on clouds, surrounded by bright blue skies, everything quiet and peaceful.  Mahiru literally thought he was floating. Kuro kept his eyes on him the entire time, yet he knew exactly where to take him. Every footstep, every angle, everything seemed to be planned in advance. Nothing felt forced.

 “Um, Kuro,” Mahiru whispered, “Are you... using magic?”

Kuro chuckled softly. He caressed Mahiru’s fingers, bringing his hand up to his lips, giving it a tender kiss, “No, I just had a really… interesting teacher.” Kuro’s red gaze drifted from Mahiru’s hand straight into his eyes, making his heart skip a beat.

“I-I thought,” Mahiru glanced down at his feet, his face flushed, “Sorry...”

“It’s not a big deal...” Kuro replied, smiling slightly at Mahiru’s cute embarrassed behaviour, “It would be troublesome to use magic to make myself into a good dancer.”

Mahiru chuckled, “I can imagine.”

“So, are you ready?” Mahiru looked up, giving Kuro a confused look.

“Ready? Ready for what?” Without answering, Kuro wrapped his arms around Mahiru’s waist, pressing him close against his body. Kuro gracefully swept him off his feet, twirling him around in a slow, tender manner. Mahiru’s shocked expression quickly changed to a bright smile as he rested his hands on Kuro’s shoulders. Their eyes locked, neither one wanting to tear away from the other’s gaze. Kuro slowly lowered him, Mahiru’s hands sliding down Kuro’s chest. They stood there embracing each other, their eyes never once breaking contact. They couldn’t hear the music anymore, they could only hear the beating of their hearts.

* * *

“Damn it! Where did that simpleton go?!” Misono mumbled angrily to himself as he struggled through the sea of people. He looked around in all directions, but couldn’t see past the people surrounding him, much less above their heads. _Dang all these freaking tall people!_ Misono frowned but remained determined as he squatted down, jumping up with full force to pop his head above the crowd. He did so repeatedly until he nearly keeled over, gasping for air.

 

“Um, Misono-aniki. Are you alright?” Misono looked up at the familiar voice to see Tetsu standing beside him with a concerned look on his face. Misono continued to stare at Tetsu until a light bulb went off in his head.

 

“Tetsu, let me borrow your shoulders!”

 

“...Huh?” Tetsu looked at him in complete confusion, unsure if he heard correctly.

 

“If I climb onto your shoulders, I’ll be able to see everything and find that bastard!”

 

“Um, Misono, I really don’t think this is the kind of place to do such a thing.” Lily gave a nervous chuckle.

 

“Says the one who strips without a moment’s notice!” Misono stated as he shot Lily an annoyed glare, who only replied with a bright, innocent smile. Misono redirected his attention back to Tetsu.

 

“Come on Tetsu! As the future king’s lecture, I need to stay by his side so he doesn’t humiliate himself!” Misono said with determination and obvious dedication.

 

“But what about humiliating yourself?” Lily muttered with a small giggle.

 

“What was that Lily?” Misono gave him a suspicious glare.

 

“Oh nothing, nothing at all.” Lily’s innocent smile quickly returned.

 

“Um, actually, Misono-aniki.” Tetsu mumbled in a barely audible voice.

 

“Huh? What is it? Spit it out bastard!” Misono raised his voice slightly, quickly losing his patience.

 

“I was uh, wondering if...” Tetsu looked down at his feet, twiddling his thumbs as a light blush highlighted his cheeks. He took a deep breath and looked up, slowly extending his hand out to Misono, “I was wondering if you’d like to dance with me?”

 

Misono stared at him blankly, letting his words tumble around in his head for a while until they clicked into place.

 

“W-w-w-w-whaaaaat?!” Misono face flushed as he yelled in shock, gaining the attention of those around him. He took several steps back, but didn’t lose eye contact with Tetsu.

 

“Will you dance with me?” Tetsu asked again in a more serious and determined tone.

 

Misono quickly stared down at the floor, his mind a giant jumble of words. He shook his head, trying to regain focus while taking several deep breaths.

 

“I-I don’t see a p-problem with that!” Misono quickly changed his posture, putting his hands on his hips as he tried to appear confident. His legs betrayed him as they shook wildly beneath him. Misono feared he would collapse if he took a single step.

 

“Pfft! Hahaha! You look like a newborn horse Misono!” Lily burst out laughing, wiping tears away from his eyes.

 

“Sh-shut up Lily!” Misono blushed, wanting to kick him, but was busy frantically tried to keep himself balanced.

 

“Hmm?” Tetsu stared down at Misono, pondering something, “Oh!” He put his fist in his palm when an idea struck him.

 

“Huh? What is-!”

 

Tetsu leaned down and grabbed Misono under his arms, hoisting him up into the air and propping his feet on top of his own.

 

“There. Now you don’t have to worry about balance. All you have to do is lean on me.” Tetsu told him with a blank expression.

 

“T-that is NOT the problem he-! Wa- H-hold on! Bastar- wah!” Misono tried to get a word in before Tetsu started to move his feet. Misono stumbled around, trying his best to balance on Tetsu’s feet with his already weak legs.

 

“Aww, this reminds me of when I taught Misono how to dance as a child!” Lily clapped his hands together in excitement, reminiscing over the fond memories.

 

“You tried to teach me to dance while stripping! You bastard!” Misono’s face turned beet red at the memory, but he quickly forgot about Lily as he felt an arm wrap around his waist.

 

He looked up to see Tetsu blushing, but staring deep into his light purple eyes. Tetsu secured his hand on Misono waist, bracing him as he slid his hand into Misono’s, intertwining their fingers. They both blushed furiously, but didn’t want to stop. Tetsu ensured that Misono had his balance as he slowed started to move his feet again. Misono wobbled slightly, but Tetsu’s grip tightened, helping him regain his posture. They continued slowly, completely in their own little world. Even though Misono’s feet were on top of Tetsu’s, he felt as if he instinctively knew Tetsu’s next moves. He let Tetsu’s motions glide them along the ballroom floor, relaxing in his embrace.

 

“You know…” Tetsu whispered, causing Misono’s heart to skip a beat as he looked up into his deep blue eyes, anticipating what he would say next, “you’re really light Chibi.”

 

An irk mark appeared on Misono’s forehead as he drove his heel into Tetsu’s foot.

 

“Ouch!”

 

“Way to ruin the moment tree trunk!”

* * *

Sakuya slouched over the table, resting his chin in his palm. He stabbed at his piece of cake with a fork, lacking any appetite at all to even try and take a bite. He lifted his head, gazing off into the crowd. Through the mass of elaborately dressed nobles, he watched his best friend dance with a monster. Sakuya furrowed his brow, glaring at the blue haired traitor who stole his best friend away from him. He looked at Mahiru, his eyes softened, but a pang shot into his heart when he saw the happy, loving look in his eyes as he stared at Kuro.

 

 _Why… Why can’t you look at me with those eyes… Why…_ Sakuya felt tears swell up in the corners of his eyes, he wanted to look away, but something grabbed his attention. He noticed something swaying between Mahiru and Kuro as they danced. He squinted his eyes to get a better look.

 

_A red… string…_

 

Sakuya felt his heart break and go crashing down into his stomach. He quickly turned away and stood up, walking away as fast as he could. Where? He didn’t care. Anywhere but there was fine. Walking aimlessly through the crowd, he nearly ran over Otogiri as she left the kitchen with a platter full of luxurious desserts. She quickly hopped out of his way, but he paid her no mind, too eager to leave as quickly as possible.

 

“Sakuya… Where are you going? Our mission isn’t complete yet.” Otogiri asked in her usual monotone voice.

 

“Just shut up!” Sakuya hissed, fighting back tears as he burst through the doors.

 

“Not following the plan… That’s a problem.”

Kuro and Mahiru swayed in each other’s arms, never once breaking eye contact. Their pace slowed down gradually until they stopped moving all together. They stood there, embracing one another. No words were spoken. There wasn’t any need for words. Kuro knew he didn’t need to say anything. His heart, his whole being, everything belonged to Mahiru. Nothing else mattered. All Kuro cared about was having Mahiru by his side, no matter what.

 

Kuro cupped Mahiru’s cheeks, he caressed his cheek as one would a precious treasure. Mahiru’s eyes filled with anticipation, his heart racing faster than it ever has before. He nestled his cheek into Kuro’s hand, placing his hand over his. He had never felt so safe, so… happy. Mahiru closed his eyes, relaxing into Kuro’s touch.

 

 ** _“You just don’t know when to quit do you, silly cat?”_** Kuro tensed up, twitching ever so slightly at the comment. He cringed, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to push _him_ back. He had to ignore _him_. He knew _he_ was trying to get under his skin, trying to break him. Kuro forced open his eyes, seeing Mahiru still had his eyes closed. He looked so cute and vulnerable. Kuro slowly lowered his head, bringing his lips closer to Mahiru’s. Kuro could feel Mahiru’s breath on his skin and it sent a chill down his spine.

 

 ** _“He’ll just leave you one day. One way or another, because, well, hehehe, he is_** ** _mortal_** ** _after all.”_** Kuro’s eyes widened as his lips hovered over Mahiru’s. He jolted back, shoving Mahiru an arm’s length away, giving the prince quite a surprise.

 

Mahiru looked up at Kuro with a confused look that instantly changed to one of concern. Dread and panic filled Kuro’s eyes. His breath staggered as he clenched his chest for air. Mahiru rushed over to him, reaching his hand out to grab Kuro’s sleeve.

 

“K-Kuro? Are you-”

 

“I-I need to get some air…” Kuro rasped out. Before Mahiru could reply, Kuro broke away from him, urgently rushing through the crowd.

 

From the stage, a pair of crimson eyes watched the blunette make his escape through the garden doors. His eyes narrowed, sorrow filling them as unpleasant memories flooded in. _Why does he of all people get to be happy when… I never had a chance…_

 _Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! What have I done?! I almost kissed him! Why?! What is wrong with me?! What are these feelings?! Damn it! Can’t deal! What am I going to do?! He must hate me now!_ Kuro clenched his fists in his hair as he leaned against the rail of the garden gazebo. He had managed to calm his breathing, but his heart still beat viciously in his chest. The only sounds present were cricket chirps and the muffled sounds of the party. Suddenly, Kuro heard footsteps approaching in his direction. Kuro knew that walk, he could pinpoint it anywhere. He tensed up, waiting for the lecture of a lifetime.

 

“Kuro…” Kuro nearly jumped out of his skin, but what truly threw him off was how kind Mahiru’s voice sounded. His footsteps continued to approach until Mahiru stood directly beside him. Mahiru rested his arms on the rail, silently staring out at the garden basking in moonlight.

 

 _Damn it! What do I say?! Tch._ Kuro took a deep breath, preparing himself for the worst, “M-Mahiru, I’m-”

 

“The garden always looks the most beautiful at night.”

 

“E-eh?” Kuro looked at him with wide eyes, surprised that that was the first thing to come out of Mahiru’s mouth.

 

“On clear nights, the moonlight shines down and reflects off the flower petals…” Mahiru’s expression suddenly saddened, but he continued, “My mother always liked to call them Moonflowers and told me they were magical.” Mahiru lifted his head up, staring up at the bright full moon with hopeful eyes, “I still like to believe that.”

 

“Mahiru…” Kuro slipped his hand over Mahiru’s, intertwining their fingers and squeezing his hand gently, “I, uh, have something for y-you…” Kuro mumbled out, his face flushed.

 

“Hm?” Mahiru gazed up at him, his big brown eyes filled with surprise and excitement.

 

“Um…” Kuro looked away, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. He took several steps back, mumbling inaudible words beneath his breath.

 

“Eh? Kuro? I can’t hear what you’re sa-” Mahiru was abruptly cut off when there was a sudden flash of light between him and Kuro. Mahiru rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust to the quick change in light. He slowly squinted them open, but what he saw made his eyes widen.

 

Kuro stood before him, a small blush highlighting his cheeks as he held out a giant bouquet of flowers. The bouquet overflowed with yellow lilies and orange gerbera daisies, blended together with the perfect amount of babies breath, white alstroemeria, and greenery.

 

“I, uh, asked Lily if he could make it for you…” Kuro rubbed the back of his neck, unable to meet Mahiru’s gaze, “I h-hope you l-like it.”

 

They stood there in silence for several moments. Each passing second felt like an eternity to Kuro. He felt like his heart was about jump out of his chest from the pressure. _Why isn’t he saying anything? Does he not like it?_ Kuro jumped slightly when Mahiru started to walk towards him. He walked past the outstretched bouquet and extended his arms, wrapping them around Kuro in a gentle embrace, nuzzling his face into Kuro’s chest. Kuro’s heart rate increase tenfold as he looked down at Mahiru with a deep red face.

 

“I don’t like it, I love it!” Mahiru lifted his head, his eyes reflecting the stars in the sky as he stared tenderly into Kuro’s crimson eyes, “Thank you Kuro!” Mahiru said, a bright smile lighting up his face.

 

Kuro’s mind went blank as his body moved on its own. He nearly dropped the flowers as he wrapped his arms around Mahiru, pressing him against his body. He rested his face in Mahiru’s hair, giving his head a light kiss as he took in his scent. _Hmmm, he smells like daisies._

 

“Happy Birthday Mahiru.” Kuro whispered into Mahiru’s hair as he stroked it gently.

 

“Thank you Kuro!” Mahiru let go of Kuro, and Kuro reluctantly did the same. Mahiru gave him a small, gentle smile and turned to gaze up at the crystal clear night sky. “What a beautiful night! I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday!” Mahiru continued to gaze up at the stars in awe, but that wasn’t were Kuro’s eyes laid. To Kuro, the beauty of the stars was miniscule compared to the boy beside him. Mahiru was far more beautiful, far more bright than any star.

 

He was his light.

 

Unbeknownst to them, a lone figure dressed as a guard watched them from a distance through the trees.

 

"Hmm. That's quite interesting…” The man hummed with a scheming smile. He turned to take his leave, his gold eyes shimmering with mischief as he glanced back at the cozy couple, “Ta-chan should be pleased. I wonder if I'll get a bonus." The man leaped up through the trees, landing on the castle wall. A dark glow surrounded his body as it started to morph. His body shrunk in size as feathers sprouted from his arms, revealing an obsidian black crow. The bird let out a loud caw as he took off, flying far off into the night sky.


	13. Ambush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Everyone! Everyone is-!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YaoiTora's Comments: FINALLY CHAPTER 13 is DONE! My goodness! Well, I was supposed to upload this on the 13th (that's how I planned it) but lucky lucky me had only two classes today sooooooo I'm uploading the 13th chapter! XD I think I also need to get my Naruto stories going plus I got a new servamp story called Nightingale that I want to work on with Yukime-Chan. (We're discussing the works of the story). 
> 
> Anyway, so here is the one and only chapter 13~ I apologize for the EXTREMELY long wait. I had personal things to deal with such as spending time with my boyfriend and um spending time with my friends mixed with studying and being a dorm representative etc. etc. etc. 
> 
> Please enjoy this and leave comments! Yukime-chan and I are willing to hear constructive criticism and adore your feedback!
> 
> THANK YOU~

Chapter 13- Ambush

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!” A scream bellowed through the castle, sending a chill down the spine of every resident.

 

“Geez Angel Cakes, easy on the ears!” Hyde said as he covered his ears with a pained expression, only to be met with a boot to the face.

 

“Silence demon!” Licht shot him a cold glare, several irk marks decorating his forehead.

 

“GAH! Angel-chan! Not the face! It’s my best featu- GAH!” Hyde tried to remove Licht’s foot, only to have him press down even harder.

 

“You don’t have any good features you rotten hedgehog!”

 

“Ah, come on Licht-san.” Licht’s glare redirected at Mahiru sitting on the sofa, making the young prince jump, “T-there’s no need to be so v-violent.” Mahiru stuttered, trying his best to not cower under the elf’s intimidating gaze.

 

“HAH?” Licht reluctantly removed his foot from Hyde’s face, slowly creeping his way towards Mahiru until he stood towering over him, “How can an angel-in-training defend a demon? Have they corrupted you already?” Licht shifted his gaze next to Mahiru, where a nervous Kuro sat fiddling with one of his cloak tails, refusing to make eye contact. Licht continued to glare holes through Kuro until he couldn’t take the pressure anymore. With a poof of smoke, Kuro shifted into his black cat form, sliding under the pillows on the sofa to hide from his gaze.

 

“Ugh, scary angel… Can’t deal.”

 

“Chicken…” Mahiru mumbled under his breath.

 

Licht looked back at Mahiru, making him straighten his posture, “I refuse to leave an angel-in-training alone with such demons! It’s been three days since my arrival, and I can tell these beasts have a firm grasp on your purity!”

 

Most of what Licht said went over Mahiru’s head, but he tried to manage with it, “Uh, Licht-san, they’re not demons… They’re mages.”

 

“Humph!” Licht gave Mahiru a disapproving expression before looking back at the pillows, “Are you proud of yourself, you damn demon? You’re corrupting this poor innocent angel-to-be!”

 

“This is so troublesome I could die....” They heard muffled under the pillow.

 

“Tch!” Licht pivoted on his heel, heading for the door.

 

“Where are you going Little Angel?” Hyde asked with curiosity as he rubbed his sore nose.

 

“I’m going for a walk Shit Rat! This demonic air is weakening my angelic powers! Don’t you dare follow me!” Licht shot Hyde a glare that didn’t seem to phase him in the slightest as Licht exited the room and slammed the door behind him.

* * *

 

“What the hell did I just say Shit Rat!?” Licht asked in a cold tone as he stormed out the castle’s front doors. He didn’t have to look back to know Hyde was tagging along behind him.

 

Hyde sped up to match Licht’s pace, swinging his arm around Licht’s shoulder, “I can’t have my Little Angel getting lost in a strange land now can I?” Hyde asked with a mischievous grin.

 

“Don’t touch me rotten hedgehog!” Licht’s face reddened slightly as he slapped Hyde’s arm away, jumping at him with several deadly kicks that Hyde barely managed to dodge, “Die until you die!”

 

The two continued their violent antics with Licht attempting to kick Hyde because of his sarcastic remarks and flirtatious gestures. Hyde laughed through the whole ordeal while dodging  _ most  _ of the kicks, not all, to his painful regret. Before they knew it, they had arrived at the village, which seemed far more lively than usual. 

 

“Ah! Check it out Angel-chan! Looks like they are having a farmer’s market!” Hyde pointed towards the village’s main street lined with vendors selling all sorts of foods and trinkets.

 

“Melons!” Without hesitation, Licht stormed off towards the crowd, pushing his way through with complete determination.

 

“Heyy! Lich-tan! Wait up!” Hyde quickened his pace to catch up with him, but Licht disappeared in the sea of people.

* * *

“Sakuya-kun.” Otogiri called his name several times, but it fell on deaf ears.

 

Sakuya remained silent and unmoving. He sat on the window ledge, staring outside at nothing in particular, completely lost in thought. His face appeared emotionless, but his eyes told a different story.

 

“Not responding… That’s a problem…”

 

Sakuya glanced back over his shoulder, giving Otogiri an annoyed look. He let out a deep sigh and reluctantly decided to cooperate, “What do you want Otogiri?”

 

“Tsubaki-san told me to inform you that it’s time to proceed with the plan.” Otogiri stared at him with her usual expressionless eyes, expecting Sakuya to comply properly.

 

Sakuya furrowed his brow and looked away, “... Do what you want. I don’t care.”

 

“Hm?” Otogiri’s eyes widened in surprise to his reply, her face still maintaining its usual blank expression, “Not following orders is a problem.” A sudden thought popped into her mind that might possibly be the cause of Sakuya’s unusual behaviour. She wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, but she decided to give it a shot. 

 

“... Is it because of Mahi-”

 

“ **_JUST SHUT UP AND GO AWAY!_ ** ” Sakuya snarled and whipped around. He glared at Otogiri with eyes as cold as ice, gritting his teeth as his hands formed tight fists that turned his knuckles white. Tears started to well up in the corners of his eyes, even though he tried with all his will to hold them back. 

 

Bullseye. 

 

“Sakuya~!”

 

Both of them jumped and turned to see Tsubaki running towards them with a doofy smile across his face. Sakuya quickly wiped his eyes and regained his composure.

 

“Eh? Tsubaki-s- Wah!” Sakuya couldn’t finish his sentence before Tsubaki swung his arm around Sakuya’s shoulder, nearly pulling him off the ledge.

 

“Sakuya! Are you going to join in on the fun?” Tsubaki asked with a mischievous smile, “Belkia is going to buy everyone ice cream after everything is said and done!”

 

“EH?! Don’t volunteer my money, Tsu-Tsu!” Belkia bellowed from the doorway with his usual excessive drama.

 

“HAHAHAHAHA-hah, not interesting at all…” Tsubaki laughed hysterically at nothing in particular, causing those around him to roll their eyes at his usual antics. After catching his breath, Tsubaki faced Sakuya. He leaned in slightly and gave him a smile, shaking his shoulder lightly with excitement, “So, are you going to join us Sa~ku~ya~?”

 

Sakuya looked away from him, an almost undetectable blush decorated his cheeks.  _ He is WAY too close! Why is he so cuddly all of a sudden? _

 

“Uh, n-no thanks… I’ll pass this time.” Sakuya mumbled out, unable to look Tsubaki in the eye.

 

“... Eh?” Tsubaki’s grip on Sakuya’s shoulder loosened and his arm fell back to his side.

 

Sakuya could tell he was disappointed without even looking at him, “I’m sorry… It’s just… I’m not feeling too good today. You guys go on ahead without me.” Sakuya snuggled close to the window and resumed staring outside, hoping Tsubaki would accept that as an answer. Tsubaki stared down at Sakuya, not saying a word. Sakuya felt uneasy under his gaze. He knew how sharp Tsubaki was, regardless of how stupid he acted.

 

“Okay.” Tsubaki turned on his heel and headed towards the door where Belkia and his other apprentices were waiting for him. 

 

Otogiri turned to follow him until something caught her eye. A fine, shimmering string of light hovered in mid-air, barely noticeable to the naked eye. She let her gaze follow the string until it ended in a rather unexpected place. Sakuya’s pinky finger. She quickly looked in the opposite direction to see where the other end led. Her eyes widened as she saw the string dangling from Tsubaki’s pinky finger. She shared a glance between the two, putting the pieces together. Neither of them seemed to notice this, so she decided it would be best to keep quiet about it for the time being.

 

“Hmm. I can’t tell if this is a problem or not.”

* * *

 

“Lich-tan! Lich-tan!” Hyde shouted above the crowd, his voice hoarse from yelling. He stood up on his tiptoes, trying to catch a glimpse of his angel, but to no avail. He had been searching for at least thirty minutes and hadn’t found a trace of him. Worry started to make its way into Hyde’s heart. What if something happened to his angel? Surely it would attract attention in such a crowded place, but that also gives someone the prime opportunity to sneak someone away. Licht, being an elvish prince, also made him a target for such things.  _ Damn it! Where did that melon-obsessed angel go?! _

 

“Hey, Shit Rat! Help me carry these!”

 

Hyde spun around at the voice and name he knew all too well. “Angel-chan, where the hell wer-” He was cut short when he saw his angel attempting to carry seven melons all by himself. His arms shook under the weight, but determination flared in his eyes. Dropping his precious melons wasn’t an option. Hyde stared at him for a few moments while Licht gave him a ‘why aren’t you helping me, demon’ kind of glare.

 

Hyde burst out into laughter. Tears formed at the corner of his eyes as he grabbed his sides that started to ache from laughing so much.

 

“What’s so damn funny demon?” Licht gave him a cold, slightly confused glare.

 

Hyde coughed several times, trying to catch his breath, “Nothing, nothing at all, My Angel~” Hyde said with a warm, gentle smile that made Licht’s face flush instantly.

 

“W-what kind of demonic spells are you using, Rotten Hedgehog?!” Licht turned away, positioning his head behind a melon to hide his blush.

 

Hyde pranced around to face him with an amused look, “It’s just my sweet charm Angel-chan!” Hyde gave him a wink. Licht would have kicked him with full force if he could, but that would cost him damaging his precious melons. A cost he wasn’t willing to pay.

 

Hyde reached for the melons and took four of them off Licht’s hands, taking most of the weight onto himself. Licht looked irritated, but relieved, as he could function much better with most of the weight gone.

 

“Come on Lich-tan!” Hyde gestured for him to follow with a wide smile. 

 

Licht let out a small huff and turned away, unable to look Hyde in the eye.  _ What is this demon’s power? It’s making me feel all fuzzy inside… But I guess it’s not  _ **_that_ ** _ bad… _ Licht’s eyes softened slightly at the thought.

 

“Oh yeah, while I was looking for you, I saw a cat that just had a litter of kittens.”

 

Licht perked up and instantly focused all of his attention on Hyde, “Ms. Cat had babies! Hurry! Lead the way! I must give them my angelic blessings!” Licht shoved Hyde’s back, trying to make him go faster. 

 

“Ms. Cat?” Hyde asked, raising an eyebrow as Licht pushed him forward. He glanced back and felt his heart skip a beat when his eyes met Licht’s. The excitement and bliss that filled his eyes made Hyde feel like his heart was going to melt. How he wished Licht would have such a look in his eyes because of him. They only fought when they were together. Sure, Hyde found it amusing, but in a way, he wanted something different, something more… affectionate. 

 

“Shitty Hedgehog, stop staring holes through my head.”

 

Hyde jumped slightly as he caught himself staring at Licht, who looked at him with irritation, as well as a sense of urgency. Pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind, Hyde gave Licht a small smile.

 

“As you wish, my prince.” Hyde replied in a charming voice, giving Licht a wink.

 

“H-hurry up, Demon!” Licht broke eye contact with him, staring off into the crowd, a small blush highlighting his pale skin.

 

They continued their way through the sea of people until they came upon an alleyway where small kitten cries could be heard. Licht picked up the pace and passed Hyde, eagerly heading towards the sound. Hyde quickly followed, making sure to keep Licht in his sights. 

 

Licht came to a sudden stop; in front of him laid a calico cat nursing four small kittens. Licht became starry eyed, so enchanted by the kittens that he set his precious melons down. The mother cat looked up, observing him, but eventually let out a soft purr, deciding to tolerate Licht’s presence. Accepting the opportunity, he placed his hand on her head. He gently scratched behind her ears as she happily rubbed into the touch.

 

“Hello Ms. Cat! I have come to give my angelic blessings upon your kittens.” Licht told her in a professional tone, completely serious about every word. The cat looked up at him, giving him a blank stare before letting out a quiet meow. “Thank you, I am glad I have your approval.”

 

Hyde stood a fair distance away. His shoulders shook as he forced himself to hold in his laughter.  _ How can he say such things with such a straight face?! _

 

“You have such beautiful kittens Ms. Cat. As an angel, it is my duty to make sure they are given proper names!” Determination flared up in Licht eyes as he stared at the kittens, racking his brain for the best possible names.

 

“You know, your face will stay like that if you keep it up?” Hyde teased.

 

“Shut up, Shitty Hyde!” Licht didn’t bother glaring at him as he was still deep in thought. His eyes widened as ideas suddenly popped into his head. He looked down at the kittens with tender eyes, gently picking each one up and setting them on his lap.

 

Their small cries gained their mother’s attention as she sat next to Licht, ensuring her babies safety. Licht gave her a warm smile, patting her head, earning a loud purr. Licht looked back at the kittens, picking one up with beautiful midnight black fur with a patch of white on its chest.

 

“Kai.” Licht nuzzled the kitten’s nose, nodding in approval. He gently placed the kitten on his lap by its calico sibling. They quickly proceeded to rough-house on Licht’s lap, paying the boy no mind, “Yukio, be nice to your sister!” Licht lightly scolded, but didn’t remotely raise his tone.

 

The other two kittens, both obsidian black, only differed in eye color. Both cuddled together, sound asleep on Licht’s lap. Licht chirped happily as he pet the kittens with his index finger, “You will be Saki and Sora.” He whispered, making sure not to wake them up.

 

Hyde smiled as he stared at Licht adoring the kittens, treating them with tender love and care. His smile quickly faded as a small pang shot through his chest, causing him to look away. ... _ Why can’t he treat me like that? _

 

“Now it is my duty to take care of you until you’re all old enough to take care of yourself.”  Licht declared as he pumped his fists in the air, eyes sparkling with excitement.

 

“Eh? We can’t take them with us, Lich-tan.” 

 

“Huh?” Licht looked up at him with his sapphire blue eyes filled with hurt and disappointment.

 

_ Ah crap! _

 

“Well, you see… uh...” Hyde turned away. He couldn’t meet Licht’s eyes when they looked so sad.  _ Ugh. How do I break it to him without hurting his feelings? Oh! _

 

Hyde quickly regained his composure, “Ms. Cat would be very sad if you took her and her babies away from their home. The journey home is long and dangerous, so they need to stay here to grow up big and strong.” Hyde tried to sound as convincing as possible, hoping Licht would buy it.

 

Licht stared at him for a short while until he let out a small, disappointed sigh, “Well, I guess demons can be right sometimes.” Licht mumbled, hoping Hyde didn’t hear him, but to no avail. Hyde’s eyes widened as he gaped at Licht in complete shock.

 

“D-don’t let it go to your head, Shit Rat!” Licht retorted, pouting as Hyde laughed from a safe distance.

 

After catching his breath from his laughing fit, Hyde gave Licht a warm smile, “Come on Lich-tan! There’s still a lot left to see!” Hyde urged, hoping to convince Licht to leave the kittens. 

 

Licht remained silent for a short while before letting out a small huff. He looked back at the kittens with a smile, gently stroking their soft fur, bidding them farewell. He carefully gathered his melons and following Hyde back to the main street. 

 

Hyde guided Licht through the market, showing him a variety of booths with products Licht had never seen before. The wonder in Licht’s eyes warmed Hyde’s heart, but he made sure Licht’s wonder didn’t get the best of him and kept a close eye on him.  _ What is this feeling? It feels so… familiar. _

 

Hyde continued to mull these emotions around in his head, so deep in thought he hadn’t realized Licht had come to a halt in front of him. Hyde bumped into Licht’s back, almost making him drop the melons as he pulled himself out of his thoughts. Before he could ask why he stopped, Hyde noticed Licht stood in a defensive form, glaring forward with attentive eyes. Hyde followed his gaze and noticed everyone in the street had vanished.

 

“Eh? What’s going on?”

 

“Something’s wrong.” Licht said, tension obvious in his voice. Hyde looked at Licht out of the corner of his eye. He could tell Licht was serious. He knew Licht was rather eccentric with his angel act, but he also knew Licht had exceptional instincts when it came to danger. 

 

“Something’s coming.” Licht tensed up more and readied his feet, tightening his grip on the melons.

 

Hyde’s eyes shot forward, his brow furrowed as he watched a strange red mist start to surround them in all directions. He instinctively moved in front of Licht.

 

“What are you doing Shit Rat?” Licht asked in an irritated tone.

 

“What does it look like? I’m going to protect you.” Hyde didn’t feel like playing their name game right now. He needed to protect his prince above all others. He didn’t care what he had to face, what unspeakable deeds he had to do. He would keep him safe, no matter the cost.  _ I-I can’t lose you too... _

 

“Nobody asked you to, De-” 

 

“ **_Just shut up and let me protect you_ ** !” Hyde cut him off in a harsh tone. 

 

Licht stared up at Hyde with wide eyes, completely taken off guard.  _ What’s up with him? He’s never talked to me like that before. It… kinda stings.  _ His gaze moved to Hyde’s eyes. Through the will to fight, the need to protect, he could see something else. Something he had never seen in Hyde’s eyes before.  _ He’s… afraid. But what could an immortal demon be so afraid of.  _

 

His thoughts screeched to a halt when he felt presences appear in the thick mist as rain started to pour down around them. Shadows slowly crept towards them through the mist, coming at them from every direction. As the mysterious figure got closer, they noticed each being wore a fox mask, hiding their true identity. Each person armed with a weapon, varying from axe to scythe. 

 

“Shit!” Hyde grit his teeth, dropping the melons without a second thought. Licht felt his heart sink into his stomach as he watched his precious melons crash to the ground. Hyde gave him no time to grieve as he mumbled a quick spell. He extended his hand, summoning a rapier sword made of shimmering gold matter. He relaxed his form, eyeing his opponents with full concentration. They all stood around him in silence, staring at him, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

 

Without hesitation, the beings lunged towards him. Their weapons pointed at him as they smiled at him with twisted, bloodthirsty grins. He tensed his stance. His eyebrows furrowed as he prepared to attack. He stayed vigilant, not daring to lose eye contact. Hyde cut through some of them faster than the blink of an eye. He showed no mercy, his determination solid. _ I will protect you! _

 

“Shit Ra-?!” Licht couldn’t finish before a blade shot past him, cutting his cheek..

 

“LICHT!” Hyde screeched, his voice overflowing with fear, unable to run to his angel’s side as enemies swamped him from all sides.

 

Licht didn’t budge. He simply stood staring at his beautiful melons that now lay mushed at his feet. His enemy grinned before lunging forward once more, taking advantage of Licht’s opening.

 

“NOOOO!” Hyde screamed, plowing down his enemies as he desperately sprinted towards Licht.

 

Licht looked up with cold eyes, watching the blade as it approached him in slow motion. Licht easily dodged it. He lifted his foot, making contact with his enemy’s stomach before sending him flying with a cackling scream.

 

“HOW. DARE. YOU!” Licht’s murderous intent shot through the roof, sending chills down everyone’s, including Hyde’s, spines. 

 

“That’s my Angel-chan! Don’t mess with his melons!” Hyde grinned, his eyes warm as he stared at Licht. He smiled, knowing full well Licht could handle himself. He was his angel afterall. He quickly redirected his attention towards his opponents.

 

“LET’S KICK SOME ASS, ANGEL-CAKES!” Hyde yelled, completely pumped.

 

“NO SHIT, SHIT RAT!”

* * *

 

_ Faster! I have to get there faster! _ Lilac sprinted towards the Watanuki Mansion with all his might. He gasped for air, his feet threatening to fall out from under him, but he kept running. He had to much to lose. After what felt like an eternity, he finally reach the front doors. He slammed them open without hesitation. Everyone inside nearly jumped out of their skin. They turned to see Lilac standing at the doorway, his legs shaky while desperately trying to breath.

 

“Welcome back, Lilac! That was quite the dramatic entrance don’t you think?” Tsubaki waved at him from the table with a handful of cards. He and the others were in the middle of a game, a game he was confident he would win.

 

“Tsubaki-san! You have to come quickly!” 

 

Tsubaki perked up, noticing Lilac’s urgent tone, “Hold on, slow down Li-”

 

“Everyone! Everyone is-!” Lilac cut him off, frantically trying to breath as his body shook in horror.

 

Tsubaki stopped breathing, his hand went slack as his cards fluttered to the ground.

 

“... Eh?”

* * *

 

Tsubaki froze. His heartbeat stopped as his body shook uncontrollably at the sight before him. His apprentices bodies littered the ground, each resting in their own pool of blood that had eventually merged with the rest. They all lay motionless. Their skin pale with lifeless eyes that stared off into nothingness. Tsubaki shakily looked up, his eyes locking on the culprit: Lawless of Greed.

 

Hyde took deep inhales, attempting to catch his breath. His rapier dissipated into thin air, his hands stained with blood that wasn’t his. He shook his head, gathering his senses. He looked behind him as relief spread over his face. Licht was in a similar condition, tired and slightly beaten, but alive, alive and breathing. 

 

“Hey, Li-!” Hyde stopped short upon sensing an ominous threat approaching them.

 

Hyde pivoted around just as a hand grabbed his throat. Tsubaki flung him forward, pinning him to the ground with a loud crash. All the air escaped his lungs upon impact. He frantically tried to breath, but the hand around his throat prevented it.

 

“HYDE!” Licht screamed, darting towards him as fast as his exhausted body could carry him.

 

“You have caused me great suffering Nii-san…” Tsubaki choked out, his tone cold as several tears ran down his cheek, “Let’s replay your’s, shall we?” Hyde’s eyes widened in horror as Tsubaki mumbled a spell under his breath.

 

Hyde let out a deafening scream as pain consumed him. He felt as if his body was crushing in on itself. The air around him turned black and engulfed his body. His screams became more quiet until nothing could be heard. The black mist disappeared with Hyde nowhere to be seen, only a small black orb stood in his place.

 

Licht’s heart sank at the sight. He quickened his pace and lunged forward, bringing his leg up to kick Tsubaki with deadly force, “YOU BASTARD!” Tsubaki bent back, easily dodging the kick as he jumped back. Licht stood in front of the orb protectively, a scowl plastered on his face.

 

Tsubaki tensed up to attack again, but paused, “Tch!” He gave Licht a murderous glare before reluctantly turning around, suddenly vanishing without a trace.

 

“GET BACK HERE YOU DAMN DEMON!” Licht screamed after him, but didn’t have the strength to chase him. He collapsed to his knees, his breathing heavy.

 

“Licht! Hyde!”

 

Licht turned around to see Mahiru and the others running towards him. They came to a halt a distance away, taking in the sight before them. 

 

“W-What the hell happened here?!” Mahiru managed to choke out, obviously traumatized and trying not to puke.

 

“These demons attacked us. Then this one damn demon showed up and... “ Licht trailed off.

 

“Where’s Hyde?” Misono asked, confused as to why Hyde, who usually stayed glued to Licht’s side, was nowhere to be seen.

 

Licht said nothing, he merely looked at the orb that rested on the ground. The others followed his gaze, putting two and two together.

 

“N-no way! That’s him!” Mahiru screeched, completely dumbfounded.

 

Kuro and the other mages approached the orb, holding their hands out above it.

 

“It’s true. I can feel his presence coming from it.” Lily confirmed with a concerned voice.

 

“H-Hyde.” Licht wheezed out, gently scooping up the black orb with shaky hands. He stared down at it, his eyes filled with dread. Tears started to form at the corner of his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. The look in his eyes quickly turned to that of determination.

 

“Don’t worry Licht, we’ll find a way to get him back.” Mahiru sat down beside him, rubbing his back in comforting circles.

 

“No… I will do it.”

 

“Eh? How?” Mahiru gave him a confused look, surprised by his sudden change in tone.

 

“You forget I’m an angel, angel-in-training.” Licht placed the orb in his lap, ensuring it wouldn’t roll off, “I’ll use all the angelic powers I have to save this demon!”

 

“Uh… Okay?” Mahiru decided it best not to question it.

 

Licht closed his eyes, mumbling words under his breath as his body started to glow.

 

“Wha-What’s happening?!” Mahiru jumped back. Kuro grabbed him from behind. He pulled him back, not wanting him to get caught up in the spell.

 

His body stopped glowing. He slowly opened his eyes. Everyone jumped upon seeing Licht’s eyes glow with a bright blue hue. 

 

“Wh-What’s he doing?” Misono asked, completely amazed as well as terrified.

 

“He’s going to get Lawless.” Kuro said, not letting on how surprised he was a young elf knew such a complicated spell.

 

Licht’s mind went blank as his soul departed into the dark abyss below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you guys think? Leave a comment down below and let me know! ^^ I'm always open to feedback and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.


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